Complete 
Suction Bridge 




By HELLESPONT 




Class G[VJ7j87 f 



Book. 



Ha 



COMPLETE AUCTION BRIDGE 



COMPLETE 
AUCTION BRIDGE 

By HELLESPONT 




Philadelphia : 

J. B. LIPPINCOTT COMPANY 

London : 

THE WEST STRAND PUBLISHING CO., Ld. 

1911 



GC^ 






:- . 



CONTENTS 



iHAPTES 


Laws of Auction Bridge 




PAGE 

7 


I. 


Introduction . 




27 


II. 


Description of the Game 




35 


III. 


General Principles 




41 




No Trump Formula 
Examples of No Trump Hands 




45 
46 


IV. 


Declarations by the Dealer 




48 




No Trumps .... 
Hearts and Diamonds 




48 
57 




Clubs ..... 




62 




Spades 




64 


V. 


Declarations by the Second Player 


68 


VI. 


Declarations by the Third Player 


. 75 


VII. 


Declarations by the Fourth Player 


87 




Doubling Original No Trump made b) 
Declarer 


r 

90 


/III. 


Bidding after the First Round . 


93 


IX. 


Doubling 


104 


X. 


General Principles of the Game whee 


r 




there are Trumps . 


111 




Varieties of Strategy 

Short Suit Leads .... 


. 112 
112 




Singleton Leads 
Avoidance of Tenace Opening 
Table of Leads . . . 
5 




. 116 

118 

. 121 



6 CONTENTS 

CHAPTER PA.QB 

X. (continued) 

Return of Leads, etc. .... 122 

Leading up to or through Dummy, etc. . 123 

The Finesse 126 

The Ruff Signal 127 

The Discard in a Trump Declaration . 128 
Drawing Trumps . . . . .130 

XI. General Principles of the Game when 

THERE ARE No TRUMPS . . .132 

The Original Lead 132 

Card to Lead Originally . . . .133 
The Fourth-Best Lead . . . . 140 

XII. No Trumps : Synopsis of Original Leads 143 
Modifications with a Card of Re-entry . 143 
Modifications in the Original Lead due to 
Bidding ...... 144 

The Play of the Elder Hand . . .148 
The Play of the Younger Hand . .154 
The Play of the Fourth Hand . . .168 
The Play of the Declarer . . .169 

The Discard . . . . . .182 

XIII. Examples of Strategy . . . .187 

XIV. Amenities .197 

Hints on General Play . . . . 204 



THE LAWS OF AUCTION BRIDGE 

Framed by a Joint Committee of the Portland and Bath 
Clubs, and approved and adopted by the Committee of 
the Portland Club (1909). 

Printed by Kind Permission of 
Messrs. Thomas de la Rue & Co., Ltd., London, E.C. 



the rubber 

1. The rubber is the best of three games. If the first 
two games be won by the same players, the third game 
is not played. 

SCORING 

2. A game consists of thirty points obtained by tricks 
alone, exclusive of any points counted for Honours, Chicane, 
Slam, Bonus, or Under-tricks. 

3. Every hand is played out, and any points in excess 
of the thirty points necessary for the game are counted. 

4. When the declarer {vide Law 50) makes good his 
declaration by winning at least as many tricks as he de- 
clared to win, each trick above 6 counts : — 

2 points when Spades are trumps. 
4 „ „ Clubs „ 

6 „ „ Diamonds „ 

8 „ „ Hearts „ 

12 „ ,, there are no trumps. 

These values become respectively 4, 8, 12, 16, and 24 
when the declaration has been doubled ; and 8, 16, 24, 22, 



8 THE LAWS OF AUCTION BRIDGE 

and 48 when the declaration has been redoubled (vide 
Law 56). 

5. Honours consist of ace, king, queen, knave, and ten 
of the trump suit. When there are no trumps they consist 
of the four aces. 

6. Honours in trump suits are thus reckoned : — 
If a player and his partner conjointly hold — 

I. The five honours of the trump suit, they score for honours 

five times the value of the trump suit trick. 
II. Any four honours of the trump suit, they score for 
honours four times the value of the trump suit trick. 
III. Any three honours of the trump suit, they score for 
honours twice the value of the trump suit trick. 

If a player in his own hand holds — 

I. The five honours of the trump suit, he and his partner 
score for honours ten times the value of the trump 
suit trick. 
II. Any four honours of the trump suit, he and his partner 
score for honours eight times the value of the trump 
suit trick; and if his partner holds the fifth honour, 
nine times the value of the trump suit trick. 

The value of the trump suit trick referred to in this 
law is its original value — e.g. two points in spades and 
six points in diamonds ; and the value of honours is in 
no way affected by any doubling or redoubling. 

7. Honoues, when there are no trumps, are thus 
reckoned : — 

If a player and his partner conjointly hold — 

I. The four aces, they score for honours forty points. 
II. Any three aces, they score for honours thirty points. 

If a player in his own hand holds — 

The four aces, he and his partner score for honours one 
hundred points. 

These values are in no way affected by doubling or 
redoubling. 

8. Chicane is thus reckoned : — 

If a player holds no trump, he and his partner score for 



THE LAWS OF AUCTION BRIDGE 9 

Chicane twice the value of the trump suit trick. The 
value of Chicane is in no way affected by any doubling 
or redoubling. 

9. Slam is thus reckoned : — 

If a player and his partner make, independently of any 
tricks taken for the revoke penalty — 

I. All thirteen tricks, they score for Grand Slam forty 

points. 
II. Twelve tricks, they score for Little Slam twenty points. 

10. Honours, Chicane, Slam, Bonus, and points for 
Under-tricks are reckoned in the score at the end of the 
rubber. 

11. At the end of the rubber, the total scores for 
Tricks, Honours, Chicane, Slam, Bonus, and Under-tricks 
obtained by each player and his partner are added up, 
two hundred and fifty points are added to the score of 
the winners of the rubber, and the difference between the 
two scores is the number of points won, or lost, by the 
winners of the rubber. 

12. If an erroneous score affecting Tricks, Bonus, or 
Under-tricks be proved, such mistake may be corrected 
prior to the conclusion of the game in which it occurred, 
and such game is not concluded until the last card of the 
following deal has been dealt, or, in the case of the last 
game of the rubber, until the score has been made up and 
agreed. 

13. If an erroneous score affecting Honours, Chicane, 
and Slam be proved, such mistake may be corrected at 
any time before the score of the rubber has been made 
up and agreed. 

CUTTING 

14. The ace is the lowest card. 

15. In all cases, every player must cut from the same 
pack. 

16. Should a player expose more than one card, he 
must cut again. 



10 THE LAWS OF AUCTION BRIDGE 



FORMATION OF TABLE 

17. If there are more than four candidates, the players 
are selected by cutting, the first six in the room having 
the right of belonging to the table, which is complete with 
six players. The candidates who cut the next lowest 
cards have a prior right to any after-comer to enter the 
table. 

18. The four who cut the lowest cards play the first 
rubber ; they cut for partners, and the two lowest play 
against the two highest. The lowest is the dealer, and he 
has choice of cards and seats, and, having once made his 
selection, must abide by it. 

19. Two players cutting cards of equal value, unless 
such cards are the two highest, cut again ; should they 
be the two lowest, a fresh cut is necessary to decide which 
of those two deals. 

20. Three players cutting cards of equal value cut 
again ; should the fourth (or remaining) card be the 
highest, the two lowest of the new cut are partners, the 
lower of those two the dealer ; should the fourth card 
be the lowest, the two highest are partners, the original 
lowest the dealer. 

CUTTING OUT 

21. At the end of a rubber, should admission be claimed 
by one, or two candidates, the player who has, or the 
players who have, played a greater number of consecutive 
rubbers than the others is, or are, out ; but when all have 
played the same number, they must cut to decide upon 
the out-goers ; the highest are out. 

ENTRY AND RE-ENTRY 

22. A candidate, whether he has played or not, can 
join a table which is not complete by declaring in at any 
time prior to any of the players having cut a card, either 
for the purpose of commencing a fresh rubber or of cutting 
out. 



THE LAWS OF AUCTION BRIDGE 11 

23. In the formation of fresh tables, the candidates 
who have neither belonged to nor played at any other 
table have the prior right of entry ; the others decide 
their right of admission by cutting. 

24. Any one quitting a table prior to the conclusion 
of a rubber may, with consent of the other three players, 
appoint a substitute in his absence during that rubber. 

25. A player joining one table, whilst belonging to 
another, loses his right of re-entry into the latter, and 
takes his chance of cutting in, as if he were a fresh candidate. 

26. If any one break up a table, the remaining players 
have the prior right to him of entry into any other ; and 
should there not be sufficient vacancies at such other 
table to admit all those candidates, they settle their pre- 
cedence by cutting. 

SHUFFLING 

27. The pack must neither be shuffled below the table 
nor so that the face of any card can be seen. 

28. The pack must not be shuffled during the play of 
the hand. 

29. A pack, having been played with, must neither be 
shuffled by dealing it into packets, nor across the table. 

30. Each player has a right to shuffle once only (except 
as provided by Law 33) prior to a deal, after a false cut, 
or when a new deal has occurred. 

31. The dealer's partner must collect the cards for the 
ensuing deal, and has the first right to shuffle that pack. 

32. Each player, after shuffling, must place the cards, 
properly collected and face downwards, to the left of 
the player about to deal. 

33. The dealer has always the right to shuffle last ; 
but should a card or cards be seen during his shuffling, 
or whilst giving the pack to be cut, he may be compelled 
to reshuffle. 



12 THE LAWS OF AUCTION BRIDGE 



THE DEAL 

34. Each player deals in his turn ; the order of dealing 
goes to the left. 

35. The player on the dealer's right cuts the pack, and, 
in dividing it, must not leave fewer than four cards in 
either packet ; if in cutting, or in replacing one of the 
two packets on the other, a card be exposed, or if there 
be any confusion of the cards or a doubt as to the exact 
place in which the pack was divided, there must be a 
fresh cut. 

36. When a player, whose duty it is to cut, has once 
separated the pack, he cannot alter his cut ; moreover, he 
can neither reshuffle nor recut the cards. 

37. After the pack has been cut, should the dealer shuffle 
the cards, the pack must be cut again. 

38. The fifty-two cards shall be dealt face downwards. 
The deal is not completed until the last card has been 
dealt face downwards. There is no misdeal. 

A NEW DEAL 

39. There must be a new deal — 

I. If, during a deal, or during the play of a hand, the 

pack be proved to be incorrect or imperfect. 
II. If any card be faced in the pack. 

III. Unless the cards are dealt into four packets, one at a 

time and in regular rotation, beginning at the player 
to the dealer's left. 

IV. Should the last card not come in its regular order to 

the dealer. 

V. Should a player have more than thirteen cards, and 

any one or more of the others less than thirteen cards. 

VI. Should the dealer deal two cards at once, or two cards 

to the same hand, and then deal a third ; but if, 

prior to dealing that card, the dealer can, by altering 

the position of one card only, rectify such error, he 

may do so. 

VII. Should the dealer omit to have the pack out to him, 

and the adversaries discover the error prior to the 



THE LAWS OF AUCTION BRIDGE 13 

last card being dealt, and before looking at their 
eards. 

40. If, whilst dealing, a card be exposed by either of 
the dealer's adversaries, the dealer or his partner may 
claim a new deal. A card similarly exposed by the dealer 
or his partner gives the same claim to each adversary. 
The claim may not be made by a player who has, or whose 
partner has, looked at any of his cards. If a new deal 
does not take place, the exposed card cannot be called. 

41. If however, in dealing, one of the last cards be 
exposed, and the dealer has completed the deal before 
there is reasonable time to decide as to a fresh deal, the 
privilege is not thereby lost. 

42. If the dealer, before he has dealt fifty-one cards, 
look at any card, his adversaries have a right to see it, 
and may exact a new deal. 

43. Should three players have their right number of 
cards, and the fourth have less than thirteen, and not 
discover such deficiency until he has played any of his 
cards, the deal stands good ; should he have played, he 
is answerable for any revoke he may have made, as if 
the missing card, or cards, had been in his hand ; he may 
search the other pack for it, or them. 

44. If a pack, during or after a rubber, be proved in- 
correct or imperfect, such proof does not alter any past 
score, game, or rubber ; that hand in which the imper- 
fection was detected is null and void, and the dealer must 
deal again. 

45. Any one dealing out of turn, or with the adversaries' 
cards, may be stopped before the last card is dealt, other- 
wise the deal stands good, and the game must proceed 
as if no mistake has been made. 

46. A player can neither shuffle, cut, nor deal for his 
partner without the permission of his opponents. 

DECLARING TRUMPS 

47. The dealer, having examined his hand, must declare 
to win at least the odd trick, but he may declare to win 



14 THE LAWS OF AUCTION BRIDGE 

more. He must declare whether the hand shall be played 
with or without trumps ; in the former case he must 
name which suit shall be trumps. The lowest declaration 
he can make is " One Spade " — i.e. he declares to win 
at least one odd trick, spades being trumps. 

48. After the dealer has made his declaration, each 
player in turn, commencing with the player on the dealer's 
left, has the right to make a higher declaration, or to 
double the last declaration made, or to redouble a declara- 
tion which has been doubled, subject to the provisions 
of Law 56, or to pass the last declaration. A declaration 
of a greater number of tricks in a suit of lower value, 
which equals the last declaration in value of points, shall 
be considered a higher declaration— e.g. a declaration of 
" Two Spades " is a higher declaration than " One Club, 
and " Two Diamonds " is higher than " One No Trump." 

49. A player in his turn may overbid the previous 
declaration any number of times, and may also overbid 
his partner, but he cannot overbid his own declaration 
which has been passed by the other three players. When 
the final declaration has been made — i.e. when the last 
declaration has been passed by the other three players — 
the player who made such declaration (or in the case where 
both partners have made declarations in the same suit, 
or of " No Trumps," the player who made the first of such 
declarations) shall play the combined hands of himself 
and of his partner, the latter becoming Dummy. 

50. When the player of the two hands (hereinafter 
termed "the declarer") wins at least as many tricks as 
he declared to do, he scores the full value of the tricks 
won (see Laws 2 and 4). When he fails, his adversaries 
score fifty points for each under- trick — i.e. each trick 
short of the number declared ; or, if the declaration has 
been doubled, or redoubled, one hundred or two hundred 
respectively for each under-trick ; neither the declarer 
nor his adversaries score anything towards the game. 

51. The loss to the declarer on the declaration of " One 
Spade " shall be limited to one hundred points in respect 



THE LAWS OF AUCTION BRIDGE 15 

of under-tricks, whether doubled or not, unless either 
he or his partner have redoubled. 

52. If a player make a declaration (other than passing) 
out of turn, the adversary on his left may demand a new 
deal, or may allow the declaration so made to stand, when 
the bidding shall continue as if the declaration had been 
in order. 

53. If a player, in bidding, fail to declare a sufficient 
number of tricks to overbid the previous declaration, he 
shall be considered to have declared the requisite number 
of tricks in the bid which he has made, provided that the 
number of tricks shall not exceed seven ; and his partner 
shall be debarred from making any further declaration, 
unless either of his adversaries make a higher declaration 
or double. If, however, such insufficient declaration be 
accepted by the next player passing it, or doubling it, or 
by making a higher declaration, no rectification can be 
made. 

54. After the final declaration has been made, a player 
is not entitled to give his partner any information as to 
a previous declaration, whether made by himself or 
either adversary ; but a player is entitled to inquire, at 
any time during the play of the hand, what was the final 
declaration. 

DOUBLING AND BEDOUBLING 

55. The effect of doubling and redoubling is that the 
value of each trick over six is doubled or quadrupled, as 
provided in Law 4 ; but it does not alter the value of a 
declaration — e.g. a declaration of " Two Clubs " is higher 
than " One Heart," although the heart declaration has 
been doubled. 

56. Any declaration can be doubled and redoubled 
once, but not more ; a player cannot double his partner's 
declaration, or redouble his partner's double, but he may 
redouble a declaration of his partner's which has been 
doubled by his adversaries. 

57. The act of doubling, or redoubling, reopens the 



16 THE LAWS OF AUCTION BRIDGE 

bidding. When a declaration has been doubled, or re- 
doubled, any player, including the player whose declaration 
has been doubled, or whose double has been redoubled, 
can in his proper turn make a further declaration of higher 
value. 

58. When a player whose declaration has been doubled 
makes good his declaration by winning at least the declared 
number of tricks, he scores a bonus which consists of 
50 points for winning the number of tricks declared, and 
50 points for each additional trick he may win. If he or 
his partner have redoubled, the bonus is doubled. 

59. If a player double out of turn, the adversary on his 
left may demand a new deal. 

60. When the final declaration has been made (see 
Law 49), the play shall begin, and the player on the left 
of the declarer shall lead. 

61. A declaration once made cannot be altered, except 
as provided by Law 53. 

DUMMY 

62. As soon as a card is led by the eldest hand — i.e. 
the player on the left of the declarer — the declarer's partner 
shall place his cards face upwards on the table, and the 
duty of playing the cards from that hand, which is called 
Dummy, and of claiming and enforcing any penalties 
arising during the hand, shall devolve upon the declarer, 
unassisted by his partner. 

63. Before placing his cards upon the table, the de- 
clarer's partner has all the rights of a player, but after 
so doing shall take no part whatever in the play, except 
that he has the right : — 

(a) To ask the declarer whether he has any of a suit which 

he may have renounced ; 

(b) To call the declarer's attention to the fact that too many 

or too few cards have been played to a trick ; 

(c) To correct the claim of either adversary to a penalty to 

which the latter is not entitled ; 



THE LAWS OF AUCTION BRIDGE 17 

(d) To call attention to the fact that a trick has been wrongly 

gathered by either side ; 

(e) To participate in the discussion of any disputed question 

of fact, or of law ; 
(/) To correct an erroneous score. 

If he call attention to any other incident in the play 
of the hand, in respect of which any penalty might be 
exacted, the fact that he has done so shall deprive the 
declarer of the right of exacting such penalty against 
his adversaries. 

64. If the declarer's partner, by touching a card, or 
otherwise, suggest the play of a card from Dummy, either 
of the adversaries may, but without consulting with his 
partner, call upon the declarer to play or not to play the 
card suggested. 

65. When the declarer draws a card, either from his own 
hand or from Dummy, such card is not considered as 
played until actually quitted. 

66. A card once played, or named by the declarer as 
to be played from his own hand or from Dummy, cannot 
be taken back, except to save a revoke. 

67. The declarer's partner may not look over his ad- 
versaries' hands, nor leave his seat for the purpose of 
watching his partner's play. 

68. Dummy is not liable to any penalty for a revoke, 
as his adversaries see his cards. Should he revoke, and 
the error not be discovered until the trick is turned and 
quitted, the trick stands good. 

69. The declarer is not liable to any penalty for an error 
whence he can gain no advantage. Thus, he may expose 
some, or all of his cards, without incurring any penalty. 

EXPOSED CARDS 

70. If, when all the cards have been dealt, and before the 
final declaration has been made, any player expose a card 
from his hand, the adversary on his left may demand a 

2 



18 THE LAWS OF AUCTION BRIDGE 

new deal. If the deal be allowed to stand, the exposed 
card may be taken up and cannot be called. 

71. If, after the final declaration has been made, and 
before a card is led, the partner of the player who has to 
lead to the first trick exposes a card from his hand, the 
declarer may, instead of calling the card, require the 
leader not to lead the suit of the exposed card. 



CAEDS LIABLE TO BE CALLED 

72. All cards exposed by the declarer's adversaries are 
liable to be called, and must be left face upwards on the 
table ; but a card is not an exposed card when dropped 
on the floor, or elsewhere below the table. 

73. The following are exposed cards : — 

I. Two or more cards played at once. 

II. Any card dropped with its face upwards, or in any way 
exposed on or above the table, even though snatched 
up so quickly that no one can name it. 

74. If either of the declarer's adversaries play to an 
imperfect trick the best card on the table, or lead one 
which is a winning card as against the declarer and his 
partner, and then lead again, without waiting for his 
partner to play, or play several such winning cards, one 
after the other, without waiting for his partner to play, 
the latter may be called on to win, if he can, the first or 
any other of those tricks, and the other cards thus impro- 
perly played are exposed cards. 

75. Should the declarer indicate that all or any of the 
remaining tricks are his, he may be required to place his 
cards face upwards on the table ; but they are not liable 
to be called. 

76. If either of the declarer's adversaries throws his 
cards on the table face upwards, such cards are exposed, 
and liable to be called by the declarer. 

77. If all the players throw their cards on the table 
face upwards, the hands are abandoned, and the score 



THE LAWS OF AUCTION BRIDGE 19 

must be left as claimed and admitted. The hands may be 
examined for the purpose of establishing a revoke, but 
for no other purpose. 

78. A card detached from the rest of the hand of either 
of the declarer's adversaries, so as to be named, is liable 
to be called ; but should the declarer name a wrong card, 
he is liable to have a suit called when first he or his partner 
have the lead. 

79. If a player, who has rendered himself liable to have 
the highest or lowest of a suit called, or to win or not to 
win a trick, fail to play as desired, though able to do so, 
or if when called on to lead one suit, lead another, having 
in his hand one or more cards of that suit demanded, he 
incurs the penalty of a revoke. 

80. If either of the declarer's adversaries lead out of 
turn, the declarer may call a suit from him or his partner 
when it is next the turn of either of them to lead, or may 
call the card erroneously led. 

81. If the declarer lead out of turn, either from his 
own hand or from Dummy, he incurs no penalty ; but 
he may not rectify the error after the second hand has 
played, unless called upon by either adversary to do so. 

82. If any player lead out of turn, and the other three 
have followed him, the trick is complete, and the error 
cannot be rectified ; but if only the second, or the second 
and third, have played to the false lead, their cards, on 
discovery of the mistake, can be taken back ; and there 
is no penalty against any one, excepting the original 
offender, and then only when he is one of the declarer's 
adversaries. 

83. In no case can a player be compelled to play a card 
which would oblige him to revoke. 

84. The call of a card may be repeated until such card 
has been played. 

85. If a player called on to lead a suit have none of it, 
the penalty is paid. 



20 THE LAWS OF AUCTION BRIDGE 



CABDS PLAYED IN EBBOB, OB NOT PLAYED TO A TBICK 

86. Should the third hand not have played, and the 
fourth play before his partner, the latter (not being Dummy 
or his partner) may be called on to win, or not to win, the 
trick. 

87. If any one (not being Dummy) omit playing to a 
former trick, and such error be not discovered until he 
has played to the next, the adversaries may claim a new 
deal ; should they decide that the deal stands good, or 
should Dummy have omitted to play to a former trick, 
and such error be not discovered till he shall have played 
to the next, the surplus card at the end of the hand is 
considered to have been played to the imperfect trick, 
but does not constitute a revoke therein. 

88. If any one play two cards to the same trick, or mix 
a card with a trick to which it does not properly belong, 
and the mistake be not discovered until the hand is played 
out, he (not being Dummy) is answerable for all consequent 
revokes he may have made. If, during the play of the 
hand, the error be detected, the tricks may be counted 
face downwards, in order to ascertain whether there be 
among them a card too many : should this be the case 
they may be searched, and the card restored ; the player 
(not being Dummy) is, however, liable for all revokes 
which he may have meanwhile made. 

THE BEVOKE 

89. Is when a player (other than Dummy), holding one 
or more cards of the suit led, plays a card of a different 
suit. 

90. The penalty for each revoke shall be :— 

(a) When the declarer revokes, his adversaries shall score 
150 points in addition to any penalty which he may 
have incurred for not making good his declaration. 

(b) When either of the adversaries revokes, the declarer 
may score 150 points, or may take three tricks from 
his opponents and add them to his own. Such tricks 



THE LAWS OF AUCTION BRIDGE 21 

taken as a penalty may assist the declarer to make 
good his declaration, but they shall not entitle him 
to score any bonus in the case of the declaration having 
been doubled or redoubled. 

The penalty of 150 points is not affected by doubling 
or redoubling. 

In no circumstances can partners score anything except 
for honours or Chicane on a hand in which one of them 
has revoked. 

91. A revoke is established if the, trick in which it 
occurs has been turned and quitted — i.e. the hand removed 
from that trick after it has been turned face downwards 
on the table — or if either the revoking player or his partner, 
whether in his right turn or otherwise, lead or play to the 
following trick. 

92. A player may ask his partner whether he has not 
a card of the suit which he has renounced ; should the 
question be asked before the trick is turned and quitted, 
subsequent turning and quitting does not establish the 
revoke, and the error may be corrected, unless the question 
be answered in the negative, or unless the revoking player 
or his partner have led or played to the following trick. 

93. At the end of the hand, the claimants of a revoke 
may search all the tricks. 

94. If a player discover his mistake in time to save a 
revoke, any player or players who have played after him 
may withdraw their cards and substitute others, and their 
cards withdrawn are not liable to be called. If the player 
in fault be one of the declarer's adversaries, the declarer 
may call the card thus played in error, or may require 
him to play his highest or lowest card to that trick in 
which he has renounced. 

95. If the player in fault be the declarer, the eldest 
hand may require him to play the highest or lowest card 
of the suit in which he has renounced, provided both of 
the declarer's adversaries have played to the current 
trick ; but this penalty cannot be exacted from the de- 



22 THE LAWS OF AUCTION BRIDGE 

clarer when he is fourth in hand, nor can it be enforced 
at all from Dummy. 

96. After a revoke has been claimed, if the accused 
player or his partner mix the cards before they have been 
sufficiently examined by the adversaries, the revoke is 
established. 

97. A revoke cannot be claimed after the cards have 
been cut for the following deal. 

98. If a revoke occur, be claimed and proved, bets on 
the odd trick, or on the amount of the score, must be 
decided by the actual state of the score after the penalty 
is paid. 

99. Should both sides subject themselves to the penalty 
for a revoke, neither side can score anything except for 
honours or Chicane ; should either or both sides revoke 
more than once, the side making the fewest revokes scores 
150 points for each extra revoke. 

CALLING FOR NEW CARDS 

100. Any player (on paying for them) before, but not 
after, the pack be cut for the deal, may call for fresh cards. 
He must call for two new packs, of which the dealer takes 
his choice. 

GENERAL RULES 

101. Any one during the play of a trick, or after the 
four cards are played, and before, but not after, they are 
touched for the purpose of gathering them together, may 
demand that the cards be placed before their respective 
players. 

102. If either of the declarer's adversaries, prior to his 
partner playing, should call attention to the trick — either 
by saying that it is his, or by naming his card, or, without 
being required so to do, by drawing it towards him — the 
declarer may require that opponent's partner to play hia 
highest or lowest of the suit then led, or to win or not to 
win the trick. 



THE LAWS OF AUCTION BRIDGE 23 

103. Should the partner of the player solely entitled to 
exact a penalty suggest or demand the enforcement of 
it, no penalty can be enforced. Should any player claim 
a penalty to which he is not entitled, he loses his right 
to exact any penalty. 

104. In all cases where a penalty has been incurred, 
the offender is bound to give reasonable time for the 
decision of his adversaries. 

105. If a bystander make any remark which calls the 
attention of a player or players to an oversight affecting 
the score, he is liable to be called on, by the players only, 
to pay the stakes and all bets on that game or rubber. 

106. A bystander, by agreement among the players, may 
decide any question. 

107. A card or cards torn or marked must be either 
replaced by agreement, or new cards called at the expense 
of the table. 

108. Once a trick is complete, turned, and quitted, it 
must not be looked at (except under Law 88) until the 
end of the hand. 



THREE-HANDED AUCTION BRIDGE 

The Laws are the same as those of Auction Bridge, 
except as varied by the following : — 

I. The game is played by three players, all against all ; 
the table being complete with four players. 

II. The player who cuts the lowest card has the first 
deal ; the player cutting the next lowest card sits on the 
dealer's left, and the remaining player on the dealer's 
right. The cards are dealt as at Auction Bridge, but the 
cards dealt to Dummy are not taken up until after the 
final declaration has been made. If whilst dealing a card 
be exposed, there must be a new deal. 

HE. The dealer makes his declaration, and the bidding 



24 THE LAWS OF AUCTION BRIDGE 

continues as at Auction Bridge, except that the players 
sitting opposite each other are not partners, and their 
declarations are on their own account. There shall be 
no new deal on account of a player making a declaration 
out of turn, but the player so offending shall forfeit 50 
points to each of the players, the right to declare remaining 
with the player whose turn it was to make a declaration. 
The player making the final declaration (i.e. the declara- 
tion that has been passed by the other two players) plays 
his own hand and that of Dummy against the other two 
players, who then, and for that particular hand, become 
partners. If one of the players happens to be sitting 
opposite the declarer, he must move into the vacant seat 
at the table, thereby facing the player who becomes his 
partner for that hand. 

IV. If, after the deal has been completed, and before 
a card is led, any player expose a card from his hand, he 
shall forfeit 100 points to each of the other players ; and 
the declarer — if he be not the offender — may call upon 
the eldest hand not to lead from the suit of the exposed 
card. If he does not exercise this right, the card must 
be left on the table as an exposed card. If the card be 
exposed by the declarer, after the final declaration has 
been made, there is no penalty. 

V. If a player double out of turn, he forfeits 100 points 
to each of his adversaries, and the player whose declara- 
tion has been so doubled shall have the right to say whether 
or not the double shall stand. The bidding is then re- 
sumed ; but if the double has been disallowed, the said 
declaration cannot be doubled by the player on the right 
of the offender. 

VI. The rubber consists of four games ; but when two 
games have been won by the same player, the other, or 
others, are not played. 

VII. When the declarer makes good his declaration, he 
scores as at Auction Bridge ; when he fails to do so, he 
loses to each of his adversaries. 

VIII. The scoring is the same as at Auction Bridge, 



THE LAWS OF AUCTION BRIDGE 25 

except with regard to honours, which are scored by each 
player severally — i.e. each player who has one honour 
in spades scores two ; each player having two honours 
in spades scores four ; a player holding three honours in 
spades scores six ; a player holding four scores sixteen ; 
and a player holding five honours in spades scores twenty ; 
and similarly for the other suits. In a " no trump " declara- 
tion, aces count ten each ; and if all four be held by one 
player, one hundred. 

IX. One hundred points are scored by each player for 
every game he wins, and the winner of the rubber adds 
a further two hundred and fifty points to his score. 

X. At the conclusion of the rubber, the total scores 
obtained by each player are added up separately, and each 
player wins from, or loses to, each other player the differ- 
ence between his score and that of the said other player. 



ETIQUETTE OF AUCTION BRIDGE 

The following rules belong to the established Etiquette 
of Auction Bridge. They are not called laws, as it is 
difficult — in some cases impossible — to apply any penalty 
to their infraction, and the only remedy is to cease to 
play with players who habitually disregard them. 

It is unfair to purposely make an impossible declaration, 
or one insufficient to overbid the previous one. 

Any one, having the lead and one or more winning 
cards to play, should not draw a second card out of his 
hand until his partner has played to the first trick, such 
act being a distinct intimation that the former has played 
a winning card. 

A player who has looked at his cards, ought not to give 
any indication by word or gesture as to the nature of 
his hand, or call the attention of his partner to the score 
of the game. 

A player who desires the cards to be placed, should do 



26 THE LAWS OF AUCTION BRIDGE 

it for his own information only, and not in order to invite 
the attention of his partner. 

No player should object to refer to a bystander, who 
professes himself uninterested in the game and able to 
decide, a disputed question of facts ; as to who played any 
particular card — whether honours were claimed though 
not scored, or vice versd — etc., etc. 

It is unfair to revoke purposely ; having made a revoke, 
a player is not justified in making a second in order to 
conceal the first. 



COMPLETE 
AUCTION BRIDGE 



CHAPTER I 

INTRODUCTION 

When, in the last decade of the nineteenth century, 
Bridge took the card-rooms of the world by storm, 
and entirely routed the ancient game of Whist — 
which had held despotic sway for upwards of 200 
years — those who acclaimed its advent with such 
enthusiasm little recked that, even before it had 
attained its majority, the new arrival would have 
to make way for a successor. Yet so it is, and 
Bridge has had to admit a serious rival in Auction. 

It is not difficult to account for this seeming 
fickleness. 

The whole tendency of our age is to move more 
rapidly, to secure greater freedom of action, and to 
increase the element of speculation in our lives. 
Whist was dethroned by Bridge because Whist had 
become too slow, and players chafed against con- 
ditions which confined them within such narrow 
limits. 

Bridge, which did away with the arbitrary method 
27 



28 AUCTION BRIDGE 

of determining the trump suit, introduced the 
doubling option, and relieved one player from taking 
an active part in the game in each deal, immediately 
sprang into public favour. 

After a time the prescriptive privileges of the 
dealing side at Bridge proved to be a cardinal blem- 
ish, and, other defective features contributing to 
its downfall, its votaries began to cast about for 
some means of abolishing these drawbacks. The 
principle of bidding for the privilege of settling 
the trump suit, and playing the hand, was found to 
afford an attractive remedy ; and Auction Bridge 
was born. 

How long it will be before the new favourite is, 
in its turn, challenged need not at present enter 
into consideration. For the moment Auction Bridge 
is all-conquering, and it behoves us therefore to 
make the best of what we have. It will be my 
endeavour in the following pages to set forth and 
explain its principles in a manner as clear and con- 
vincing as possible, with the dual object of attract- 
ing new adherents to the game, and of rendering it 
even more agreeable to those already devoted to it. 

Auction Bridge has now been in vogue for three or 
four years ; and it is only necessary to compare the 
way in which it is played at the present time, with 
the teachings of the earliest writers, in order to see 
what immense progress has been made. Just 
as, in its infancy, Bridge proceeded upon altogether 
erroneous lines, so Auction Bridge was taught at 
first upon a totally wrong basis. 

Before this book is published, it is possible there 
may be still further developments ; because, after 



INTRODUCTION 29 

all, in every pastime that is extensively practised, 
constant improvement is bound to be the outcome 
of increasing experience. 

In the foreword to my book upon Bridge I have 
pointed out how in order that the game may be 
played intelligibly it is essential that certain con- 
ventions should be generally understood and a set 
of broad general principles be commonly followed. 
What applies to Bridge applies in the same way to 
Auction, and it is incumbent upon every one, before 
joining a table, to familiarise himself with, at any 
rate, the most ordinary conversation of the game. 

To presume to cut in to a table at Auction Bridge, 
without first having made oneself conversant with 
the laws, and the ordinary usages of those who play 
it, constitutes an offence at least as great as entering 
for a boat race when one has never handled an 
oar in one's life. 

Before proceeding further it may be of interest 
to review some of the reasons that have caused 
Auction Bridge to be preferred by so many players 
to the parent game. 

In the first place, whenever you hold a good hand 
at Auction Bridge, it is always an asset of value ; 
whereas at Bridge, unless you are one of the dealing 
side, you may hold nine or ten hearts and all the 
aces, and still derive little or no profit from them. 
Nevertheless, although this is one of its main ad- 
vantages, there is also a reverse side to the picture, 
and unless you do hold a good hand at Auction, you 
may play several rubbers in succession without ever 
becoming the declarer. This, of course, can never 
happen at Bridge. 



30 AUCTION BRIDGE 

Another strong point in favour of Auction Bridge 
is that, owing to there being a penalty above the 
line, of 50 points for every under- trick lost, irrespec- 
tive of what the declaration may be, it is just as 
important to fulfil a contract with a black suit 
trumps, as one without trumps (except a one spade 
declaration, in which the maximum penalty is limited 
to 100 points), and therefore the play of every hand 
is invested with a substantial interest. 

At Bridge the dealer has an advantage that is 
admittedly disproportionately great. At Auction 
Bridge, although the deal — pace the ideas of some 
players — confers an undoubted advantage, this has 
been very materially reduced. 

At Auction Bridge, to win the rubber never be- 
comes a forlorn hope, because the right to bid gives 
every player a chance of playing the cards in every 
deal, this privilege not being borne by the dealing 
side as at Bridge. 

Apart from the pleasure inherent in the bidding 
itself, this feature exerts a levelling influence. 
What I mean is that many players, although un- 
skilful in the play of the cards, greatly excel in 
the Auction department of the game, and their 
superiority in declaring compensates them in no 
small measure for their defective play. The com- 
posite nature of Auction Bridge thus tends to place 
players more or less on an equality, and adds, in 
consequence, to its popularity. 

In regard to the foregoing, a very widespread 
and erroneous impression has been allowed to gain 
ground, to the effect that at Auction Bridge the 
bidding is of overwhelming importance, and that 



INTRODUCTION 31 

skilful play of the cards is of comparatively little 
value. This fallacy is due to the misleading pro- 
nouncements of those writers first in the field, who 
propounded it along with various other hasty inac- 
curacies. 

What appears to have given rise to their view is 
that, because players by their declarations disclose 
their strongest suits, therefore it requires no deduc- 
tive power to place, not only all the suits, but pre- 
sumably also all the cards — becaues it is the cards 
after all, and not the suits, that matter. It is true 
that, when players have been declaring freely, a 
certain amount of information has been imparted 
,as to the holders of the different suits ; but this is 
not a point that ever required much inferential 
subtlety. The bidding does not tell one what cards 
are held, and it is in the placing of the cards, and 
in regulating one's play accordingly, that the skilful 
player reaps the benefit of his skill. 

The only standard by which to estimate the 
comparative value of skilful and indifferent play, 
is the number of points that reward the former, or 
penalise the latter. Let us now appraise the two 
by this test. 

It is the final game of a rubber at Bridge, and the 
dealer is 24 up. He declares hearts ; and in con- 
sequence of bad play, makes only the odd trick, 
instead of three by cards, as a good player would 
have done. Nevertheless he scores 8 below, and 
wins the game and rubber. All the punishment 
his bad play inflicts upon him is a decrease of 16 
points in the rubber total, representing the value 
of the two tricks lost by his lack of skill. 



32 AUCTION BRIDGE 

Now let us see what happens at Auction Bridge. 
The declarer, who is 24 up in the final game, has 
been pushed up to two hearts. (He would never be 
left in with one heart at that score.) He plays badly 
and, instead of making three by cards, he only makes 
the odd trick. He is not allowed to score anything 
below, and so fails to win the rubber, which his 
adversaries win next deal. He is also penalised 
50 above for his lost under- trick. 

At Bridge the average value of a rubber is 170 
points. At Auction Bridge it is 400 points. In this 
case the player's bad play at Bridge loses him 16 
points out of his 170, and he still wins (say) 154 
points. At Auction it loses him 800 points ; or, 
in the event of his finally winning the rubber, it has 
cost him 58 points. Measured by points good play 
at Bridge gains 16 points. At Auction it gains 816 
points ; whilst bad play at Bridge does not deprive 
the player of his gain of 154 points, though it loses 
at Auction from 200 to 1,000 points ! Surely it is 
unnecessary to adduce stronger evidence than this 
in favour of the importance of good play at the new 
game ; although it may incidentally be stated that 
doubling may still further enhance its importance. 

My allusion in the preceding paragraphs to the 
value of rubbers at Bridge and Auction Bridge 
affords an opening here for reference to a mistaken 
impression that prevails somewhat extensively — an 
impression that Auction Bridge involves the inter- 
change of much more money than Bridge. 

If one plays for the same points, of course it 
does : but no one thinks of doing so. As well ban 
Vint (the parent of both games — at which a player 



INTRODUCTION 33 

who holds a quart major in the trump suit scores 
2,000 for it !) as a gambling medium, whereas it 
is nothing of the kind. It is quite easy for those 
who play all these games to reduce them to the 
same money value, by proportioning their points. 
In the case of Auction Bridge, it is only necessary 
to halve your Bridge points in order to bring the 
two games to the same pecuniary level. A Bridge 
rubber is worth 170 points, and an Auction Bridge 
rubber 400 points. The latter takes longer to 
play : so that if you are in the habit of playing six- 
penny points at Bridge, threepenny points at Auction 
will total about the same ; but if you want to be 
quite on the safe side, double your Auction Bridge 
points, and divide them by five. Thus : the 
rubber is worth 400 points. Multiply by 2, and 
divide by 5, and you will get 160, or 10 less than 
a Bridge rubber, and you will get more play for 
your money ! 

I think I have now made out a very good case in 
favour of the new game ; but it would be foolish to 
remain silent regarding one very serious defect 
indeed, which is that one is so entirely at the mercy 
of one's partner. At Bridge he cannot do very much 
harm, beyond an occasional error of judgment. 
At Auction there is practically no limit to the losses 
he may inflict upon you. He has it in his power to 
make impossible declarations, embark upon dis- 
astrous doubles, and, by his inability to remain 
silent, to convert a splendid winning position into 
one involving a very serious loss. These powers 
for evil are all in addition to, and apart from, the 
ordinary every-day partnership afflictions of want 

3 



34 AUCTION BRIDGE 

of knowledge and bad play. This constitutes the 
gravest objection to the game. 

Nevertheless, in spite of this unfortunate draw- 
back, I am satisfied that all who take to Auction 
Bridge will agree that it is a most enjoyable game, 
of infinite variety and absorbing interest, and that 
it is in no need of any special pleading on its behalf. 



CHAPTER II 

DESCRIPTION OF THE GAME 

The table having been formed, partners deter- 
mined, and the deal completed, in the manner pre- 
scribed in the Laws, it devolves upon the dealer to 
start the game. 

This is done by his announcing that, in con- 
junction with his partner's cards, he undertakes to 
win a declared number of tricks above six, with some 
suit which he names trumps, or without a trump. 
This announcement, or declaration, constitutes the 
bid, or call. 

The standard of value employed in bidding is 
the number of tricks each bidder announces that 
he is prepared to make in the different suits. The 
lowest bid of all is " one spade," which is a bid of 
two ; and means that the bidder undertakes, with 
his own and his partner's cards, to win seven tricks 
with the spade suit trumps. 

One club, which is a bid of four, overbids one 
spade. One diamond overbids one club ; one 
heart, one diamond ; and one No Trump, one 
heart, but although one No Trump, which is a 
bid of twelve, overbids one heart ; two diamonds, 
which is also a bid of twelve, overbids one No 
Trump ; because it entails winning an additional 

35 



36 AUCTION BRIDGE 

trick, and to make a greater number of tricks is a 
more diffioult undertaking, even though they only 
count the same. 

For this reason two spades, and three spades, 
overcall one club, and one diamond, respectively ; 
and two clubs overcall one diamond, or one heart. 
Three clubs overcall one No Trump or two 
diamonds ; and three hearts take precedence over 
two No Trumps — and so on. 

The doubling and redoubling of a bid does not 
alter its value for Auction purposes, because it 
does not make the accomplishment of the under- 
taking any more difficult. Thus, supposing a bid 
of two diamonds is doubled and redoubled, in- 
creasing its tricks value to 24, and 48, it may still 
be overcalled by two hearts, or three clubs, not- 
withstanding that the trick values of these latter 
are respectively only 16, and 12. 

Doubling and redoubling, however, reopen the 
bidding. 

The only player who is obliged to make a bid of 
some kind is the dealer, who has not the option 
of passing. 

The privilege of bidding passes from the dealer, 
from left to right in rotation ; and any bidder may, 
in his proper turn, make any bid up to grand 
slam in No Trumps. Each bid, however, must be 
higher than the preceding one ; and should a 
player inadvertently make a call which does not 
outbid the previous one, he has to raise it. For 
instance, if a player erroneously declares one heart 
over two clubs, it is obligatory upon him to correct 
his call to two hearts ; and, moreover, his partner 



DESCRIPTION OF THE GAME 37 

is debarred from any further bid, unless either 
adversary doubles or raises. 

The dealer having announced his bid, the player 
on his left may either pass or bid higher, or 
he may double the declarer's call — and so on all 
round. 

A player may not double a declaration of his 
partner's, but he may redouble a bid of his partner's 
which has been doubled by an adversary. 

When a bid has been made which is passed by 
the other three players, it becomes the declaration, 
and the hand is played accordingly. Such de- 
claration or undertaking is generally referred to as 
" the contract." Whichever of the two partners 
who made the first bid, in the suit or No Trump 
which has finally been passed, becomes the " de- 
clarer " (this is the designation conferred upon him 
in the Laws), takes the place of the dealer, and 
plays the two hands, his partner's being exposed 
upon the table. 

Only the declarer and his partner can score 
" below the line," or towards the game ; and that 
only when they fulfil their contract. If they fail 
in their undertaking, the penalties for their want of 
success are scored " above the line " — along with 
scores for honours, chicane, slams, etc. 

The penalty for the non-fulfilment of a contract 
is the same whatever the declaration. Whether 
you undertake to make two by tricks with clubs 
trumps, or two by tricks without trumps, if you 
only win five tricks, your adversaries are entitled 
to score 150 points above the line, just the same 
for the club as for the No Trump. If the de- 



38 AUCTION BRIDGE 

claration has been doubled, or redoubled, they may 
score 300 or 600. 

If, however, the declaration has been doubled, 
and the declarer fulfils his contract, he and his 
partner score 50 above the line, besides the doubled 
value of the tricks below : and furthermore, they 
score an additional 50 points above for each trick 
that they may make in excess of their contract. 
In the case of a redoubled bid, these bonuses are 
each increased to 100 points. 

Whenever the declarer fails in his contract, nothing 
is scored below the line on either side. For example, 
he undertakes to make " three hearts," and makes 
only eight tricks, he loses 50 above the line, but 
he does not score 16 below. 

Honour scores are scored as held, whether the 
declarer succeeds or not : and, of course, all tricks 
made in excess of a contract are credited, and 
count towards the game and rubber total. 

An illustration of how the bidding proceeds will 
help to make the foregoing clearer. 

Z deals and declares one spade. 

A doubles. 

Y declares one heart. 

B declares one No Trump. 

Z declares two hearts. 

A, Y, and B each pass. 

Y, who made the first bid in hearts, becomes 
the declarer, B has to lead, and Z becomes Dummy, 
exposing his hand upon the table. 

If Y Z win 8 trioks, they fulfil their contract and 
score 16 below the line. 

If they win 9 tricks, they score 24 below ; but 



DESCRIPTION OF THE GAME 39 

if they only win 7 tricks, they score nothing below, 
and lose 50 points penalty above for failing to fulfil 
their contract. 

Again : 

Z deals and declares one heart. 

A declares two clubs. 

Y doubles. 

B declares two diamonds. 
Z declares two hearts. 
A doubles. 

Y declares two No Trumps. 
B doubles. 

Z, A, and Y pass. 

Y becomes the declarer, B the leader, and Z's 
hand is exposed. If Y Z win ten tricks they score 
96 below, and 150 above the line : 50 for making 
the eight tricks that they contracted to make, and 
50 for each of the two tricks in excess. 

If Y Z win eight tricks, they score 48 below, and 
50 above the line, as a bonus for fulfilling their 
doubled contract. 

If Y Z win seven tricks only, they lose 100 above 
for the doubled under-trick, and score nothing 
below : and for each trick less than seven, they 
would lose another 100 ; so that if A B win eight 
tricks, Y Z would lose 300 above. 

The only limitation in penalties attaches to a 
one spade contract. If the declaration is to make 
one spade only, all the declarer can lose is 100 
points above, even though his adversaries double 
and make a grand slam. This is the protection 
afforded by the Laws to a side which happens to 
be destitute of any cards of value. 



40 AUCTION BRIDGE 

Let us now proceed to a consideration of the 
general principles of the game and the play of the 
cards ; but before doing so it will be necessary 
to explain the notation employed in the succeeding 
pages. 

Before the final declaration is accepted, the 
players will be denoted by the points of the com- 
pass : North, South, East, and West, and South 
will always be the dealer. 

After the final declaration has been passed, the 
player of the two hands will be designated the 
declarer : the player on his left, the elder hand ; 
his partner, the dummy ; and the player on his 
right, the younger hand. 



CHAPTER III 

GENERAL PRINCIPLES 

Auction Bridge first took root in London at the 
Bath Club, where it was played for some time 
before becoming more generally known. Gradually 
it spread from there, until it succeeded in effecting 
an entrance into the Portland Club. Once having 
established itself in that stronghold of Bridge, 
where it met with a very cordial reception, the 
game became, as it were, hall marked, and its 
success was assured. 

This was in 1908, and a Joint Committee, com- 
posed of Members of both the above Clubs, then 
framed the first set of Laws ; which was published 
in August of that year. In 1909 these Laws under- 
went revision and improvement, and the revised 
Code then drawn up is the one that now governs 
the game in Great Britain and all its Dominions. 
There is no need to criticise or discuss these laws, 
which are in themselves quite clear and compre- 
hensive. 

At the commencement, there were two distinct 
schools of players, who represented, I believe, the 
different methods followed at the Bath and Portland 
Clubs. 

One set always declared up to the limit capacity 

41 



42 AUCTION BRIDGE 

of their hands, and strove to win the game and 
rubber as soon as possible ; and the other aimed at 
concealing what strength they held, with the object 
of luring on their adversaries to declare beyond 
the value of their cards, and then, by defeating 
these declarations, to accumulate penalty scores 
above the line. 

The first, or straightforward school, depended 
for its success upon holding the necessary good 
cards ; and since its unvarying form of strategy 
eliminated some of the most interesting features of 
the game, it cannot be said to have embodied its 
most correct principles. 

The second, or concealment school, relied for 
the success of their plan upon a childlike innocence 
on the part of their opponents, who were expected 
to fall into the palpable snare of declaring in excess 
of what their holdings warranted ; whereupon, all 
the liers-in-wait had to do was to unmask their 
batteries and annihilate their unsuspecting victims ! 

Unfortunately for the adherents of this simple 
system, they found that their adversaries also 
possessed some faint glimmerings of that intel- 
1 gence of which they appeared to think they 
owned a monopoly, and refused to be enticed into 
transparent traps of that nature, so that this in- 
genuous scheme was also doomed to fail. 

In short, both these methods proved defective, 
because they were insufficiently elastic. In no 
pursuit is it possible for exactly the same procedure 
to prosper under all conditions ; and one's tactics 
must always be varied, in order to meet varying 
sets of circumstances. In the case of Auction 



GENERAL PRINCIPLES 43 

Bridge, it is necessary to adapt one's game so that 
it shall be suited to an ever-changing position. 

The concealment school was responsible for a 
ridiculous practice which ordained that, in nine 
cases out of ten, the dealer should declare one 
spade ; and for a resulting corollary that, in such 
cases, it was incumbent upon his partner to make 
some other bid, in order to give the dealer a chance 
of coming in again. It was hoped that a one- 
spade call would tempt the adversaries into making 
declarations, and so give the dealer some indication 
of their holdings before he started out to bid 
seriously. 

Since, however, the adversaries knew, just as 
well as the dealer, that they would have another 
say, they were not such simpletons as to play into 
his hands ; and unless they wished to convey in- 
formation of value to one another, they merely 
passed, thus rendering entirely nugatory the 
object of this fatuous convention. Its only effect 
was that very often the dealer was left to get out 
of a call of two spades, without any information 
at all ; and when the law was introduced limiting 
the loss on a call of one spade to 100 points, this 
proved a serious handicap. Accordingly its in- 
efficacy having been exposed, the convention of 
Dummy invariably overbidding the dealer's one 
spade call ceased to exist, and there is now no 
longer any such convention. 

Another extraordinary proceeding that had quite 
a vogue in the early days of Auction Bridge was 
the making of impossible declarations with the 
object of preventing your adversaries from winning 



44 AUCTION BRIDGE 

the rubber. This very expensive pastime was 
defined as "keeping the flag flying"; and that 
high-sounding designation perhaps helped to invest 
its folly with a sentimental halo of heroism. It 
was speedily found to be as costly as it was useless, 
and new adherents failed to be attracted by its 
seductions. 

There are occasions, of course, when it pays to 
make a declaration in order to prevent the ad- 
versaries going out ; but such declarations are 
exceptions, and must always be made with dis- 
cretion. 

Likewise opportunities often occur of making 
a heavy score above the line ; but players must 
remember that, unless rubbers are won, they will 
never make money at Auction Bridge. When to 
bid oneself, and when to defeat the bids of one's 
adversaries, is the attribute that constitutes skill 
in declaring. The possession of a right perception 
of when to do the one, and when the other, 
coupled with skilful play of the cards, is the com- 
bination requisite to make a really fine Auction 
Bridge player. 

Auction Bridge is practically divided into two 
well-defined component parts : (a) the bidding to 
secure the declaration ; and (b) the play of the 
cards after the bidding is over. A similar division 
exists at Bridge, but in a much less marked degree, 
because, at the parent game, the declaration is 
simple, and has, to all intents and purposes, been 
standardised by calculation. Auction Bridge, how- 
ever, has not yet been long enough in existence to 
afford sufficient data to be similarly treated, whilst 



GENERAL PRINCIPLES 45 

it is doubtful, moreover, whether the declaration at 
the new game can ever be authoritatively fixed, 
on account of the constant variations that are intro- 
duced by the succeeding bids, as well as by reason 
of the large proportion of the personal element 
that enters into it. 

No Trump Formula 

The declaration will be dealt with first, but, 
before commencing, it will be necessary to fix some 
standard for determining what constitutes a hand 
upon which it is worth declaring No Trumps. 

A formula known as the " Robertson Rule," for 
estimating the value of a hand for a No Trump 
declaration at Bridge, has been accepted by a good 
many Bridge players ; but since this formula has 
not been worked out scientifically, it allots an in- 
sufficient number of points to an ace, and is there- 
fore unsound. 

Mr. Whitf eld's formula, which I have given in 
my book on Bridge, has the merit of being arrived 
at by exact methods, and may therefore be accepted 
as more correct. It is this standard which will be 
utilised in this treatise. Here it is : — " Assign 
as follows to guarded honours : — To an Ace, 9 points ; 
to a King, 5 ; to a Queen, 3 ; to a Knave, 2 ; and 
to a Ten, 1. Two to a Queen, and one to a Knave, 
partly guarded. Subtract one for a suit of five cards 
without honours in sequence ; and add one for 
three honours in sequence. In the case of an estab- 
lished suit, add one extra if it consists of six cards, 
and two if it consists of seven. The minimum 
total for a No Trump declaration should be 26." 



46 AUCTION BRIDGE 

At Bridge this minimum of 26 is the standard for 
the dealer ; and it may be taken at Auction Bridge 
as a guide for an original one No Trump. 

When making use of it, care must be taken to see 
that the honours are properly guarded ; and cards 
that form the guard must not be allotted their full 
value but a point must be deducted. For instance, 
a King is guarded when he has the ten, nine behind 
him. This ten is not reckoned. A suit consisting 
of Queen, Knave, ten, and one other, counts 5 and 
not 6 ; but if it is a five-card suit, it is worth seven. 

The formula, unlike the Persico-Median law, is 
not immutable, and if you prefer to declare on a 
higher or lower total you can do so, always bearing 
in mind that if you lower the limit you are laying 
a bit more odds than you ought. Lastly it is not 
suggested that whenever you deal yourself a hand 
counting 26 or more you should declare one No 
Trump, and the formula is given merely in order 
to provide you with an easy method of estimating 
what your cards are worth. 

Examples of No Trump Hands 

Here are six examples of minimum one No 
Trump hands for the dealer : — 

No. 1. No. 2. 

Hearts — 10, 6. Hearts — King, knave, 8. 

Diamonds — 9, 3. Diamonds — Queen, 10, 6. 

Clubs — King, 4. Clubs — King, knave, 7, 4, 2. 

Spades — Ace, king, queen, Spades — Ace, queen, 
knave, 7, 6, 2. 

No. 3. No. 4. 

Hearts — King, queen, 6. Hearts — Ace, 6, 3. 

Diamonds — King, queen, 5. Diamonds — 10, 8. 

Clubs — King, knave, 4. Clubs — Ace, king, queen, 9, 4 t 

Spades— King, 10, 3, 2. Spades— 7, 5, 2. 



GENERAL PRINCIPLES 47 

No. 5. No. 6. 

Hearts — Queen, 7, 6, 5. Hearts — Ace, knave, 4. 

Diamonds — Queen, knave, 8. Diamonds — King, 10, 6, 2. 

Clubs— 10. Clubs— Ace, 8, 7. 

Spades — Ace, king, queen, Spades — Queen, 5, 3. 
knave, 4. 

Obviously there is a good deal of risk about No. 1 ; 
but if a Club is led, or should you be able to get in 
in a red suit by means of Dummy, you are sure of 
eight tricks right away. Again, if the long suit 
is in hearts or diamonds, instead of spades, you will 
of course declare the red suit in preference to No 
Trump ; and the same with hand No. 5. With 
hand No. 4, transpose the hearts and clubs, and the 
former suit should be chosen rather than No 
Trump — but these are all points that will be 
elucidated as we go along. 



CHAPTER IV 

DECLARATIONS BY THE DEALER 

Before proffering your first bid as dealer, you must 
decide whether your cards admit of your making an 
effort to win the game ; or whether they are only 
strong enough to support your partner, or hamper 
your adversaries ; or whether they are so poor as 
to necessitate defensive measures. It is here that 
the advantage of the deal comes in. It enables 
you to open the campaign in whichever manner 
you fancy will be most beneficial to you, and on many 
occasions this is a very valuable privilege indeed. 

As dealer, there will be ten bids, and ten bids 
only, from which you will have to make your choice. 
Here they are : — Two No Trumps, one No Trump, 
one heart, two hearts, one diamond, two diamonds, 
one club, two clubs, one spade, and two spades. 

Let us take them in order, and deal with each 
separately. 

No Trumps 

Two No Trumps is a bid you will only make 
when you have a powerful No Trump hand ; but 
one in which there is a weak spot : and your 
object in making such a high call to start with 
is in order to shut out any informatory bidding 

48 



DECLARATIONS BY THE DEALER 49 

by your adversaries. Should you bid one No 
Trump only West or East may raise you with 
a bid of two hearts or two diamonds, and if 
you then go up to two No Trumps, the partner 
of the bidder of the red suit may be able to 
support the bid, and raise it to three hearts — or 
even to four diamonds. This would necessitate 
your going inside the danger line. In any case 
your adversaries are given an opportunity of in- 
forming one another about their hands. When 
you declare two No Trumps, it requires a powerful 
red suit, unaided, to outbid you. Here are four 
hands typifying the kind of distribution upon which 
you should bid two No Trumps. 

No. 1. No. 2. 

Hearts — King, 8. Hearts — Ace, 7. 

Diamonds — Ace, king. Diamonds — 8. 

Clubs — Queen, knave, 9. Clubs — Ace, king, 9. 

Spades — Ace, king, queen, Spades — King, queen, knave, 
knave, 7, 6. 10, 5, 4, 2. 

No. 3. No. 4. 

Hearts — Ace, 9. Hearts — 10, 9, 8. 

Diamonds — 8, 2. Diamonds — King, queen. 

Clubs — Ace, king, queen, 7, 6, Clubs — King, queen. 

5. Spades — Ace, king, queen, 
Spades — Ace, 4, 3. knave 7, 3. 

To shut out opposing bids is particularly useful 
when it is the final game, and when you are ahead. 
Under such conditions the adversaries will generally 
try to keep you out, but to do this against an original 
two No Trumps requires wonderful cards or con- 
siderable courage. You may of course come to 
serious grief. Supposing in hand No. 1 the elder 
leads a club ; which his partner wins, and returns 
a heart through, finding ace, queen, and a longish 
heart suit on declarer's left : or, supposing in hands 

4 



50 AUCTION BRIDGE 

2 and 3 the elder doubles with a solid diamond 
suit, or in 4 on a similar heart suit, you will lose 
heavily above ; but these are risks you must be 
prepared to run, for the advantage of preventing 
an adverse suit being declared against you, when 
it is divided between your two adversaries. When 
you have a very strong hand, and are guarded in 
every suit, it is generally preferable to declare No 
Trumps originally, and hear what your adversaries 
have to say. They may be tempted to overcall 
their hands, when you will be in the most advan- 
tageous position of all at Auction Bridge, namely 
that of selecting whether to go for the game ; or 
double, and score above the line. Unless you are 
pretty sure to make the game, it is more profitable 
to play to defeat your opponents. If, however, the 
game appears a certainty, do not forego it, or you 
may never have another chance. 

Supposing the score is love all in the final game 
of the rubber, and you are a bit behind in the total, 
when you deal yourself the following hand : — 

Hearts ; ace, queen, 6 ; Diamonds ; queen, 
knave, 10 ; Clubs, ace, king, queen ; and Spades ; 
ace, queen, knave, 4. You should declare one 
No Trump. You are guarded all round, and 
have strength in the red suits, and you are prepared 
to bid up to two No Trumps on your own cards ; 
but, without some help from Dummy, you can 
hardly expect to make three by cards. It is there- 
fore advantageous to hear what the other players 
have to say. West bids two diamonds : North 
and East pass. You now of course bid two No 
Trumps. West and North pass and East declares 



DECLARATIONS BY THE DEALER 51 

three hearts. It is better not to raise your bid to 
three No Trumps, but you should double three 
hearts. It is practically certain that the Declarer 
cannot make good ; whereas it is also improbable, 
that with strong diamonds and hearts against you, 
you will be able to win the game : and it pays better 
to score 200 or 300 above, rather than win 24 below 
and reckon 30 for aces. Of course if your partner 
happens to hold the king of spades, you can make 
three by tricks without a trump ; but on the other 
hand, if West holds seven diamonds to ace, king, 
and the kings of spades and hearts, you will not 
make even two by cards — but you will still break 
the three heart contract. 

Supposing you hold the king of spades instead of 
the small one, the game becomes a moral certainty, 
and you should bid three No Trumps and secure 
it. Many players would still prefer to double three 
hearts ; but I do not think this is right. 

Let us presume the hands to be as under : — 

Declarer. Elder. 

Hearts — King, knave, 10, 7, Hearts — Ace, queen, 6. 

3,2. Diamonds — Queen, knave, 10. 

Diamonds — 9. Clubs — Ace, king, queen. 

Clubs — 9, 7, 5, 3, Spades — Ace, queen, knave, 4. 
Spades, 10, 8. 

Dummy. Younger. 

Hearts — 9, 8. Hearts — 5, 4. 

Diamonds — Ace, king, 7, 5, 4, Diamonds — 8, 6. 

3 2 

Clubs— 10. Clubs— Knave, 8, 6, 4, 2. 

Spades— 9, 7, 5. Spades— King, 6, 3, 2. 

By doubling, you would score 300 above the line, 
which would put your total 270 ahead of your ad- 
versaries. In the next deal they score 24 below and 



52 AUCTION BRIDGE 

32 above. You are now at a disadvantage ; and in 
the following deal are compelled to overcall, in order 
to keep them from winning the rubber. Thereby 
you lose 100 above, less 16 for honours. At the 
next deal your adversaries score 60 below and 40 
above, and win the rubber. Let us see how the 
balance sheet works out. If you had declared 
three No Trumps, instead of doubling three hearts, 
you would have scored four by tricks, and 30 above ; 
and, at that point being 30 behind, would have won 
a rubber of 298 points. As it is, you lose a rubber of 
220 — a difference of 518 points. Even if you lose 
the rubber on the deal immediately succeeding the 
one when you refrained from winning it, you still 
lose 80 points, instead of winning 298, or a difference 
of 378 points. The importance of not throwing 
away the substance is very clearly exemplified by 
this analysis. 

The next declaration to discuss is that of one 
No Trump. At the time of writing, this is perhaps 
the most popular declaration of all ; the reason 
being that most players have a fancy for playing their 
cards without a trump, although this is probably 
the most difficult phase of the game. No more is 
lost in penalties when you fail in a No Trump 
contract, than with a suit declaration ; whilst, if 
it is successful, it is the one by which you are most 
likely to achieve game. 

This circumstance, by the way, has given rise to 
a popular delusion, that when you bid one spade you 
are laying odds of 25 to 1 on fulfilling your contract ; 
but that when you bid one No Trump you are 
only laying 50 to 12. You are of course doing 



DECLARATIONS BY THE DEALER 53 

nothing of the kind in either case. The fallacy is 
founded on the fact that, if you make your one 
spade, you only score 2 points below, though if you 
lose it you lose 50 above ; whereas, if you make 
your one No Trump, you score 12 below ; though, 
if you lose it, you still lose only 50 above. 

The error consists in confusing your chance of 
making seven tricks with the reward you receive 
for making them, or the penalty you pay for failing 
to do so. Needless to say that the one has nothing 
to do with the other. It is possible to work out the 
odds in favour of or against the number of tricks 
that may be made with every conceivable combina- 
tion of cards, and with any declaration ; but, apart 
from such a computation taking a very long time, 
and entailing an immense amount of labour, its 
results would only occupy a great deal of space, 
and would, moreover, be quite useless, since no one 
could possibly memorise them. Suffice it to say that 
there are 635,013,559,600 possible hands at Auction 
Bridge ; and that the odds against any named com- 
bination of 52 cards being dealt to four players, and 
at the same time against naming the last card dealt, 
are 697,381,590,951,354,306,910,086,719,999 to 1 ; 
so that the stupendous magnitude of the task of 
attempting to commit to memory the odds against 
the capacities of even a fracture of the hands 
that may be held is at once apparent. 

Nevertheless I think one or two simple illustra- 
tions will serve to explain the misconception I have 
alluded to. 

Supposing you hold a septieme major in spades, 
with no other card in your hand above a three, and 



54 AUCTION BRIDGE 

you declare one spade. It is an absolute certainty 
that you will make it — but if you declare one No 
Trump, you will stand a very good chance of losing 
upstairs. Similarly with a quart major in clubs, a 
single ace of spades, and the aces of hearts and 
diamonds, each at the head of three small ones, 
what risk do you run by bidding one No Trump ? 
You score 12 below and 100 above to a certainty. 
If you declare two No Trumps, you cannot lose 
anything, even if you are doubled, although you only 
make seven tricks. If you are not doubled, you still 
score 50 above. You may even bid three No Trumps, 
and unless you are doubled you cannot lose any- 
thing, although you only make seven tricks. What 
has the 50 penalty or the 2 or the 12 below to do 
with the odds you are laying, in any of the above 
examples, on fulfilling your contract ? Or, finally, 
supposing with the last hand you bid one spade, 
and the declaration stands (of course such a case 
could not be), and one of your adversaries holds a 
huitieme king in spades, and a quint king in dia- 
monds or hearts. You must lose 266 above. The 
50 above has nothing to do with it. The odds 
against your succeeding in your contract are deter- 
mined by the cards you hold. There is yet one 
more point in connection with these tricks and 
penalty points. In the first two games of a 
rubber, points below the line are worth double as 
much as points above ; and in the final game, 
they are worth three times as much ; so that the 
ratio between the reward for (say) a heart trick in 
the final game, and the penalty for failing, is as 
24 is to 50. 



DECLARATIONS BY THE DEALER 55 

To return to the declaration of one No Trump. 
I have already explained what it should be made 
when you have a very strong hand indeed ; but that 
is a different matter from the ordinary one No 
Trump call which, apart from the advantage I have 
pointed out, possesses the further merit of stopping 
informatory bids by your adversaries. When you 
have a bare 26 point No Trump hand, you do not 
want to minimise the advantage you will have in 
playing the cards, by permitting either or both 
adversaries to intimate to one another the suits 
they are strong in. Take these hands : — 

Dealer. West. 



Hearts — Ace, 7. 
Diamonds — King, 9. 
Clubs — King, queen, knave, 
5, 2. 
les— Knave, 10, 6, 4. 



Hearts — Queen, 9, 6. 
Diamonds — Ace, queen, 8, 6, 

4. 
Clubs— 7, 3. 
Spades — King, 5, 2. 



North. East. 



Hearts— 8, 4, 2. 
Diamonds — 5, 3, 2. 
Clubs— Ace, 10, 8, 4. 
Spades — Queen, 9, 7. 



Hearts — King, knave, 10, 5, 3. 
Diamonds — Knave, 10, 7. 
Clubs— 9, 6. 
Spades — Ace, 8, 3. 



If the dealer declares one spade, West will bid 
one diamond, and East one heart, and if the dealer 
then bids one No Trump, West will support East, 
and bid two hearts. South cannot declare two 
No Trumps, so East will become the declarer, and 
play the hand, make four hearts, scoring 32 above 
and below. Had the dealer declared one No 
Trump originally, West could not well have de- 
clared two diamonds, nor East two hearts, and the 
dealer would have become the declarer, with a one 



56 AUCTION BRIDGE 

No Trump contract ; which he would have made : 
so that he would have scored 12 below, instead of 
losing 32 above and the game. 
Or again, here is another case : — 

Dealer. West. 



Hearts — King, Knave, 6. 
Diamonds — 9, ,, 5. 
Clubs — Ace, queen, 4. 
Spades — Ace, 8, 3, 2. 



Hearts— 10, 9, 8. 
Diamonds — Knave, 6, 2. 
Clubs— 9, 8, 6, 2. 
Spades — Knave, 10, 4. 



North. East. 



Hearts — Ace, 7, 5, 4. 
Diamonds — 10, 8. 
Clubs — King, knave, 10, 3. 
Spades — King, queen, 7. 



Hearts — Queen, 3, 2. 
Diamonds — Ace, king, queen, 

4, 3. 
Clubs— 7, 5. 
Spades — 9, 6, 5. 



If the dealer declares one No Trump at once, 
all the players pass, and West does not know what 
to lead. He would probably start with either the 
two of clubs or knave of spades. Anyway the 
declarer would win three by cards and the game, 
and score 30 above. If the dealer declares one 
spade, North will call one club, and East one dia- 
mond. When the dealer now bids one No Trump, 
West will lead the Knave of diamonds, and the 
declarer will only win two by cards, and miss the 
game. 

To sum up. The advantages of an original one 
No Trump bid are : — 

(1) That a No Trump declaration gives the 

best chance of winning the game. 

(2) That it is more interesting to play the 

hand without trumps. 



DECLARATIONS BY THE DEALER 57 

(3) That it prevents your adversaries from 

cheaply communicating to one another 

the contents of their hands, and compels 

them to bid at least two tricks in a red 

suit, or three tricks in clubs in order to 

do so. 

Notwithstanding these advantages, I do not 

recommend bidding one No Trump originally, unless 

the cards you hold count at least 26. To do so 

is merely to gamble on your partner's hand, and 

involves no principle of play. There is no object 

in making any declaration unless the odds in 

favour of your succeeding are at least as good as 

those against. It is wiser to let the others do the 

talking. 

Next we come to the Red Suits. 



Hearts and Diamonds 

With sound, properly made declarations, the 
chances are that the game will be won about 30 
times out of 100 with hearts trumps ; as against only 
18 times with diamonds trumps. Without a trump, 
it should be won about 44 times out of 100. This, 
of course, is because, in order to win the game with- 
out trumps, it is only necessary to make nine tricks, 
as against ten and eleven with hearts and diamonds 
trumps respectively. However, this point may be 
disregarded when estimating the value of a hand 
for the purpose of making an equal number of tricks ; 
and it is convenient therefore to treat hearts and 
diamonds together. 



58 AUCTION BRIDGE 

The only occasion when you will have to consider 
the game aspect of the question is when you hold an 
equally long suit of hearts and diamonds of practi- 
cally the same strength, which I need hardly say is 
an extremely unusual occurrence. 

Some players suggest that when you hold two 
red suits of approximately the same strength, it is 
preferable first to declare the diamond ; so that 
you may tempt your adversaries to overcall with a 
heart. You are then in a good position to score 
above the line ; but, in such cases, it is not very 
likely that you will be overcalled in hearts, whilst 
if you are left in with the diamond, you stand a 
40% worse chance of making game than if you 
had declared a heart to start with. You are almost 
as likely to be overcalled with two diamonds, if you 
bid one heart originally, as you are to be overcalled 
with one heart when you bid one diamond, and 
you are in a much better position. 

Under these conditions therefore, it seems un- 
doubtedly the better course to select the heart suit 
rather than the diamond. 

Opinions appear to be fairly evenly divided as 
to whether it is better, when you hold a very strong 
heart or diamond suit, to bid two tricks in it origin- 
ally ; or whether your first bid should not be only 
one trick. It must be advanced in favour of bidding 
two tricks, that it prevents your adversaries from 
bidding one No Trump ; and stops the second 
player from disclosing club strength : but the ad- 
vantage is problematic, because, when you have a 
strong trump hand, you do not mind hearing what 
the others have to say. It is true that when you 



DECLARATIONS BY THE DEALER 59 

bid (say) one heart, the second player may bid two 
clubs and so enable the fourth player to bid one, or 
even two, No Trumps ; which, without an intima- 
tion regarding the clubs, he could not have done. 
It may also, however, enable your partner to bid two 
diamonds over two clubs which may assist you to a 
decision as to eventually overcalling a two No 
Trumps bid with three hearts. 

The chief argument in favour of nearly always 
bidding one trick only in a red suit (no rule should 
be invariable, and sometimes when you hold a 
powerful suit you should call two tricks in it origin- 
ally) is that it affords you a means of conveying to 
your partner some precise information when you 
bid two tricks. The information you give by this 
bid is that you hold at least six of the suit, that it 
is headed by the queen and knave, and that you 
have no other likely trick in your hand. This 
specific indication is of great value, and I think 
outweighs the very slight disadvantage you may 
suffer from, by bidding one trick only with other 
holdings. 

I recommend, therefore, that, as a general rule, you 
should declare only one trick in a red suit as a first 
bid ; except when you hold six or more headed by 
queen and knave and no other probable trick in 
your hand ; when you should bid two tricks. Occa- 
sionally also, when you have a very strong suit 
indeed, you may bid two tricks to start with, in 
pursuance of the principle that you must not stereo- 
type your game. 

A heart or diamond declaration is, theoretically 
at any rate, an attacking one, and you should there- 



60 



AUCTION BRIDGE 



fore not make it, as a rule, unless you have at least 
five trumps and a hand of average strength — two 
of the trumps being honours. By a hand of average 
strength is meant any hand containing all the 
cards from ace to a two. When your hand is below 
average strength, you should hold stronger trumps 
than a bare five and any two honours. The honours 
should be ace king or king queen at least. With 
a hand practically blank in other suits, it is more 
advantageous to declare one heart or one diamond, 
with only five headed by ace king or king queen, 
than to bid one spade. You at least indicate to 
your partner that you have some strength in the 
suit you name. With a hand of average strength, 
you may declare one heart or one diamond with 
four, only when the red suit contains three or 
four honours. 

Here are a number of hands of minimum strength 
upon which you may bid one heart, or one diamond ; 
transposing hearts and diamonds as the case may 
be: — 



Hearts — King, queen, 8, 7, 2. 
Diamonds — Knave, 4, 3. 
Clubs — Ace, 5. 
Spades— 10, 9, 6. 



Hearts — Ace, queen, 8, 3, 2. 
Diamonds — 10, 9, 6. 
Clubs— 7, 5. 
Spades — King, knave, 4. 



Hearts — Queen, 10, 5, 4, 3. 
Diamonds — Ace, 9, 8. 
Clubs— 2. 
Spades — King, knave, 7, 6. 



Hearts — Ace, king, 8, 7, 5. 
Diamonds — 10, 9. 
Clubs— Knave, 4, 2. 
Spades— 6, 5, 3. 



Hearts— 8, 6, 4. 
Diamonds — King, queen, 5, 

3 2. 
Clubs— 10, 9, 7. 
Spades — Knave, 8. 



Hearts — King, 6, 4. 
Diamonds— Queen, knave, 10, 

3. 
Clubs— Ace, 9, 2. 
Spades, 8, 7, 5. 



DECLARATIONS BY THE DEALER 61 

Here are stronger hands upon which to declare 
one heart or one diamond ; transposing again ; — 



Hearts — Ace, king, queen, 

knave. 
Diamonds — 5, 3, 2. 
Clubs — Queen, 8, 6. 
Spades— 10, 9, 4. 



Hearts — King, queen. 
Diamonds — Ace, knave, 10, 5, 

4,2. 
Clubs— 9, 6, 3. 
Spades — Queen, 8. 



Hearts — Ace, 4. 3. 
Diamonds — King, queen, 

knave, 10. 
Clubs— Knave, 9, 8. 
Spades — Queen, 7, 5. 

Hearts — King, queen, knave, 

9, 6, 3. 
Diamonds — 8, 4. 
Clubs— Ace, 7, 2. 
Spades — King, 5. 



Hearts — King, knave, 8, 6, 3. 
Diamonds — Queen, 10, 2. 
Clubs — Ace, 4. 
Spades — King, queen, 5. 

When you hold very strong red suits and wish 
to play the hand on a suit call you bid two tricks 
in it. Here are examples : — 



Hearts — Ace, king, queen, 10, 

5, 3, 2. 
Diamonds — 9. 
Clubs— Knave, 6, 4. 
Spades — 8, 7. 



Hearts— 6, 2. 

Diamonds — King, queen, 

knave, 10, 9, 4, 3. 
Clubs— 8, 5. 
Spades — Ace, 7. 



Hearts — Knave. 

Diamonds — Ace, king, queen, 9, 8, 7, 6. 

Clubs— 10, 3, 2. 

Spades — King, 5. 

It will sometimes happen that you will have to 
choose between one heart and one No Trump. Here 
are some hands when hearts should be selected : — 



Heart* — King, queen, 10, 8, 6. 
Diamonds — Knave, 10, 3. 
Clubs — Ace. 
Spades — King, queen, knave, 

7. 



Hearts — King, knave, 10, 9, 8. 
Diamonds — Queen, 3. 
Clubs — Ace, queen. 
Spades — Ace, king, 6, 4. 



62 



AUCTION BRIDGE 



Hearts — Queen, 10, 8, 6, 5. 
Diamonds — Ace. 

Clubs — Ace, king, queen, knave, 5. 
Spades— 10, 8. 

Here are some one diamond hands, the first two 
of which count over 26 : — 



Hearts — Ace, 3. 

Diamonds — King, knave, 10, 

8, 7, 4. 
Clubs— King, 4. 
Spades — King, 9, 2. 

Hearts — King, 5. 
Diamonds— 10, 9, 8, 7, 4, 3, 2. 
Clubs — Queen, knave, 6. 
Spades — Ace. 



Hearts — King, 6. 

Diamonds — Ace, king, queen, 

knave, 10. 
Clubs — Queen, 9, 4. 
Spades — King, 8, 5. 

Hearts — King, knave, 10, 7. 
Diamonds — Ace, queen, knave, 

10, 3. 
Clubs— 8. 
Spades— 10, 7, 2. 



It may be said that all the hands given so far as 
illustrations have been tested a sufficient number 
of times to make them trustworthy standards. Full 
details and analyses are given in my book on Bridge, 



Clubs 

Passing from red suits to black, we fall out of 
the attacking ranks, and enter a less aggressive 
sphere. Not altogether into a position of defence, 
because we sometimes offer our services as allies for 
a joint assault ; but when a black suit is declared, it 
is never bid with any idea of by itself advancing the 
score below the line. 

A bid is never made in clubs, in preference to 
spades, on account of additional trick value, but 
solely on informatory grounds. 

The only occasions when you should bid one club 
originally are : (1) when you hold a strong suit of 



DECLARATIONS BY THE DEALER 63 

five or six clubs headed by at least the three top 
honours, and have not a biddable red suit or a No 
Trump hand ; and (2) when you have a fair all- 
round hand, not counting quite up to the 26 points 
requisite for a one No Trump bid, and not con- 
taining a red suit strong enough to declare, and 
when you can protect the club from being easily 
established against you. In both instances the 
information you wish to impart to your partner is, 
that you can give him assistance to the extent of at 
least three tricks, if his hand is such that he wishes 
to bid one No Trump upon it. For the sake of 
convenience, I will designate a hand of this nature 
an "Auxiliary No Trumper." 

Precisely similar information may be conveyed 
by the declaration of two spades, under similar 
conditions, and these two bids are made with the 
sole object of affording information. 

They mean : " I have a hand out of which you may 
expect at least three tricks if you care to bid one 
No Trump." If you have a solid spade or club suit 
you may of course make five or six tricks. You 
must be careful with such cards not to bid two 
clubs, because that would prevent your partner from 
bidding one trick in a red suit. 

It has been suggested that one club should signify 
the possession of an auxiliary No Trump hand ; 
and two clubs mean that you have five or more 
clubs headed by the four top honours ; but, al- 
though there is an advantage in being able to 
distinguish in this way, I am of opinion that, 
without modification, it would be too dearly 
bought, at the expense of always depriving your 



64 AUCTION BRIDGE 

partner of being able to indicate strength in 
hearts or diamonds, unless strong enough to bid 
two tricks. 

On the other hand, if your partner's object in 
making such a declaration is merely in the hope 
of your being able to support it, and his holding is 
not strong enough to bid up to two tricks it follows 
that you incur no loss by bidding two clubs in those 
positions when you hold no support in the red 
suits ; and you secure the additional advantage of 
compelling your adversaries to declare two tricks 
in a red suit if they wish to bid it. 

My own view inclines to the following practice : — 
When you hold no supporting strength in either red 
suit, and hold at least five clubs with the four top 
honours, or at least seven headed by the tierce major, 
bid two clubs. Your partner will at once know what 
you hold, and what you can do if he bids one No 
Trump ; whilst if the red suit he has is not worth 
bidding more than one trick in, he has not been 
prejudiced in any way. Lastly, he is also warned 
that if he wishes to bid two tricks in his red suit 
you can give him no support. 

If you have some supporting strength in the red 
suits, or even in one, bid only one club. Always 
bid only one club in order to indicate the possession 
of an auxiliary No Trump hand. 

Spades 

The declaration of one spade is the most forlorn 
of all. It signifies that you have not a minimum 
one No Trump hand ; that you have not an 



DECLARATIONS BY THE DEALER 65 

auxiliary No Trump hand ; that you have not 
strength enough in either red suit to bid it, and that 
you have not even a powerful club or spade. 

At the same time it does not necessarily imply that 
you have a Yarborough, or that you have no strength 
in any suit. 

You may hold hands like this : — • 



Hearts — Knave, 10, 9. 
Diamonds — Ace, 6, 2. 
Clubs— King, 8, 2. 
Spades — Knave, 9, 7, 2. 

Hearts — Queen, 10, 5, 4. 
Diamonds — King, knave, 6, 3. 
Clubs — Knave, 7. 
Spades— 10, 8, 2. 

Hearts— 10, 7. 
Diamonds — 8, 5, 4. 
Clubs — King, knave, 9, 2. 
Spades — King, queen, knave, 
3. 



Hearts — Ace, 6, 5. 
Diamonds — Ace, 5, 3. 
Clubs— 10, 7, 8. 
Spades — Knave, 8, 4, 2. 

Hearts — Ace, queen, 4, 2. 
Diamonds — Ace, knave, 6, 3. 
Clubs— 9, 8, 7. 
Spades — 10, 5. 

Hearts — King, queen, 8, 2. 
Diamonds — Ace, knave, 5, 3. 
Clubs— 10, 9, 7. 
Spades — 6, 4. 



You cannot declare anything but one spade on 
any of them, yet they are all useful red supports, 
except No. 5, and may aid a No Trump bid also ; 
as well as prove obstructive to your adversaries. 

Here follow six auxiliary No Trumpers upon which 
you will declare one club and two spades respec- 
tively : — 



Hearts — Ace, 5, 4. 
Diamonds — 10, 9, 8. 
Clubs — King, knave, 10, 2. 
Spades — Queen, 10, 3. 



Hearts — Knave, 10, 3. 
Diamonds — Queen, 8, 7. 
Clubs — Ace, king, queen, 

knave, 2. 
Spades— 9, 6. 



Hearts — King, queen, 2. 
Diamonds — Queen, 10, 6. 
Clubs— Ace, 8, 3. 

3 — Knave, 6, 5, 4. 



Hearts — Queen, knave, 10. 
Diamonds — Queen, knave, 10. 
Clubs— 9, 8. 
Spades— Ace, knave, 6, 5, 3. 

5 



66 AUCTION BRIDGE 



Hearts — Queen, 7. 
Diamonds — Knave, 4, 3. 
Clubs— 10, 8. 
Spades — Ace, king, queen, 
knave, 5, 2. 



Hearts,— King, 9, 7, 6. 
Diamonds — Queen, 8, 4. 
Clubs— Knave, 10, 3. 
Spades — Ace, queen, 4. 



Lastly, with either of the following hands you 
may declare two clubs : — 



Hearts — 7, 4. 

Diamonds — 8, 3. 

Clubs — Ace, king, queen, 10, 

6, 5, 2. 
Spades — King, 9. 



Hearts — 7, 6. 

Diamonds — 9, 8. 

Clubs — Ace, king, queen, 

knave, 4, 2. 
Spades — King, queen, 3. 



To sum up suit declarations : — 

Bid one heart or one diamond on any hand of 
average strength, (1) containing five trumps at 
least, two of which are honours ; or (2) four trumps, 
all of which are honours, or containing three honours. 
And also on a hand that is blank in other respects, 
if it contains not less than five trumps headed by 
ace and king, or king and queen ; or four trumps 
if they are all honours. 

Likewise bid one heart or one diamond on hands 
of any greater degree of strength than the fore- 
going. 

Bid two hearts or two diamonds, when you hold 
six or more headed by queen and knave, and when 
your hand is otherwise trickless. Also when you 
hold a very powerful suit indeed, and wish to play 
the hand upon the declaration. 

Bid one club, or two spades when you hold five 
or six clubs headed by at least a tierce major ; 
or when you hold an auxiliary No Trump hand, 
as already explained. 

Bid two clubs, only when you are reasonably sure 



DECLARATIONS BY THE DEALER 67 

of making at least five tricks in the suit ; and 
when, at the same time, you hold no cards of any 
value in either red suit. 

At all other times bid one spade. 

Always vary your bidding as much as possible 
when you can do so without misleading your 
partner. 



CHAPTER V 

DECLARATIONS BY THE SECOND PLAYER 

When you are second hand you are not quite in 
the same position as when you deal. As dealer you 
are bound to make some declaration — at times this 
is not altogether a desirable privilege ; but in order 
to compensate for this, you are often enabled to 
make declarations which are of great value, either 
by reason of their informatory nature, or because 
they shut out other bids. As second player, it is 
not possible for you to reduce more than one 
opponent to silence, because the other has already 
spoken ; but, on the other hand, it is not incumbent 
upon you to say anything at all unless you wish. 
When you do, you are always in possession of some 
data regarding the dealer's hand, which helps you 
to decide what course you will follow. Sometimes 
this information is indefinite and negative ; at 
others it is positive and precise — but there is always 
something to assist you. 

Whenever the dealer bids one spade, you know 
that the cards he holds are such that he cannot 
declare one or two No Trumps, and that they 
preclude a bid in a red suit. He has not an aux- 
iliary No Trumper, nor has he commanding strength 
in clubs or spades. He may have pretty good 

68 



DECLARATIONS BY SECOND PLAYER 69 

hearts or diamonds, or both, and his hand may 
be useful, either to support his partner or obstruct 
his adversaries : or it may be a Yarborough. That 
is all you know. 

If you have a strong No Trump, or a strong 
red suit, it is generally advisable to bid one trick, 
otherwise it is possible that the dealer may be left 
in with his one spade and you don't get another 
chance. Also if you have a good No Trump 
hand, weak in one suit, you may bid two No 
Trumps, in the same way as is recommended for 
the dealer in similar circumstances. 

You should bid one No Trump when you hold 
a 26 point hand ; you may act in regard to the 
red suits in the same way as you would if you were 
dealer. There is, however, no pressing need for 
hurry in the case of ordinary hands, and you will 
often do better to pass, and let the third player 
have a chance. 

If you hold an auxiliary No Trump hand, 
with the spade suit stopped, you double the dealer's 
one spade. This is a very cheap way of communi- 
cating useful information to your partner. It may 
also have a deterrent effect upon the third player. 
If you have not an auxiliary no trumper, but hold 
a long spade suit, headed by at least a tierce major 
or tierce king, you should intimate the fact to your 
partner by declaring two spades. 

When you hold an auxiliary No Trump hand, 
with the club suit stopped instead of the spade, 
you will bid one club. It is also advisable to bid 
one club when you have five or six, with at least 
the three top honours ; and when you also hold 



70 AUCTION BRIDGE 

some support in one or both red suits, but have 
not got an auxiliary No Trumper. 

When you have a very strong suit of clubs, 
consisting of not less than seven to a tierce major, 
or five to a quart major, without any support in 
either red suit, you should bid two clubs. . All 
these last five declarations are made solely in order 
to inform your partner ; and not because you wish 
to play the hand with them. 

Whenever the dealer bids one club, you know 
that he holds either a strong club suit, with some 
support in one or both red suits ; or an auxiliary 
No Trump hand with the club suit stopped. If 
you have a strong spade suit of five or more headed 
by quart or tierce major, or six or more headed by 
ace, king, queen, you will intimate the fact to your 
partner by overcalling with two spades ; so that 
if the third player declares No Trump, he will 
know what to lead. Whenever the dealer bids 
two spades, you know that he holds either an 
auxiliary No Trump hand, or a commanding 
spade suit, and that his partner will bid one No 
Trump if he can. These auxiliary No Trump 
declarations should always accordingly be over- 
called by that suit which you wish your partner 
to lead you, in the event of a No Trump bid 
being made by the third player. Two spades can 
be overcalled by only one diamond or heart, but 
two tricks in clubs are necessary. When you bid 
one in a red suit, or two in clubs, you do so pri- 
marily in the two first, and solely in the last case, 
with the object of telling your partner what to 
lead ; and it is essential, therefore, that you should 



DECLARATIONS BY SECOND PLAYER 71 

hold strength, (say) at least five cards in hearts 
or diamonds, headed by ace king, or king queen • 
or at least seven in clubs, headed by tierce major, 
or five headed by quart major. 

Should the dealer bid two clubs, you must have 
at least six hearts or diamonds, with at least two 
honours, and some support in the other suits before 
over calling, or five hearts or diamonds, of which 
four are honours. You must not overcall two 
clubs with one No Trump, unless you can stop 
the suit, which you will scarcely ever be able to 
do, provided the dealer has made a proper bid. 

Whenever you can stop the dealer's one club, 
or two spade call, at least twice, in the event of 
the third player bidding one No Trump, you should 
double, in order to notify your partner of the 
fact. 

When the dealer has proclaimed that he holds 
an auxiliary No Trump hand, you will generally 
find it more judicious to pass, unless your cards 
admit of your employing one of the informatory 
devices just described. Whenever the game is 
likely to resolve itself into a struggle for the odd 
trick, between hands of seemingly evenly divided 
strength, it is usually more advantageous to let 
your adversaries strive to make it. If they suc- 
ceed, they will only score 12 below ; whereas if 
they fail, they will lose 50 above. 

When the dealer bids one diamond, and you 
hold a strong club suit, consisting of six or seven to 
the tierce major, or at least five with a quart major, 
you should overcall with two clubs. Before raising 
in this way, you must be good for at least three 



72 AUCTION BRIDGE 

certain tricks, with possibly more, in the event of 
a No Trump declaration. If you bid two clubs 
without the top honours, and your partner, on the 
strength of your bid, declares No Trump, he will 
have a legitimate grievance against you. There is 
no object in bidding two clubs, except to help your 
partner to go No Trumps, because it is a profitless 
call to play. If the dealer and his partner are 
strong enough, they will bid two diamonds ; and 
if they are not, they could not have done much 
good with their one diamond contract. If you 
have a hand upon which, as dealer, you would 
declare one heart, you will call it in the same way 
over one diamond ; but you should not bid one 
heart, unless you are willing to play the hand on a 
heart declaration. 

When you hold a No Trump hand, you will bid 
one No Trump, provided you can stop the diamond 
suit ; but not otherwise, because the suit will be 
led up to you right away. 

When the dealer declares one heart, he has 
made an attacking declaration. If you can stop 
the heart suit, you will declare one No Trump, if 
your hand counts at least 26. As explained in 
regard to an original diamond, you will not bid 
one No Trump unless you can stop the heart. It 
is even dangerous when your stop is but a single 
one, because unless you can make the odd straight 
off, as soon as you get in, there is a risk of the 
heart suit being brought in against you. You may 
overcall one heart with two clubs ; when you hold 
clubs as described when dealing with the diamond 
bid. Also, if you hold at least six diamonds, with 



DECLARATIONS BY SECOND PLAYER 73 

not less than two honours, and some support in 
other suits, you should bid two diamonds. In 
this case it is not essential that you should hold 
the top honours, because you do not make the bid 
with the object of indicating to your partner what 
to lead, but because you are prepared to play the 
hand on the declaration. When the dealer declares 
two hearts or two diamonds, he either has over- 
whelming strength, or it is an intimation that he 
holds nothing outside the red suit, and not even the 
command of that. It is generally advisable to 
pass, although, if you hold a 30 point hand, and 
can stop the red suit, you may bid two No Trumps. 
Also, with six or more hearts, including at least 
two honours, and a hand of average strength you 
may call two hearts over two diamonds. 

Whenever the dealer declares one No Trump, 
you will pass, unless you hold six or more dia- 
monds or hearts, with at least two honours, and 
some support in other suits ; when you will bid 
two hearts, or two diamonds as the case may be. 
Unless you hold really powerful cards, it is foolish 
to overcall one No Trump with two tricks in a 
red suit. 

Bluffs of that nature have an unpleasant habit 
of recoiling, and you may be doubled and lose 
heavily. It is wiser, when the cards are against 
you, to accept the inevitable and remain silent. 

It is never advisable to double one diamond or 
one heart, because it affords the adversaries an 
opportunity of switching on to something else. 
It is especially injudicious, when you hold a " citter," 
to double one No Trump, since such a proceeding 



74 AUCTION BRIDGE 

nearly always results in two diamonds or two 
hearts being substituted. It is sounder to say 
nothing, and hope that the No Trump call will be 
left in, when you can weigh in with your seven or 
eight solid tricks. 

I have now described the different declarations 
that may be made when you are second player. 

In the language of the ring, these bids represent 
the counters to the dealer's leads, but they are 
not compulsory, and you are not bound to bid 
unless you wish. There still exist players who 
prefer to say nothing, or as little as possible, at the 
first time of asking ; but they are in a steadily 
increasing minority. 

All I can do is to outline a course of action ; 
whether to follow it or not rests with my readers. 



CHAPTER VI 

DECLARATIONS BY THE THIRD PLAYER 

When you are third player, there are two sets of 
conditions under which your declarations have to 
be considered. These are : (1) When the second 
player has passed, and (2) when he has overcalled 
your partner. For the sake of convenience I will 
treat them separately. 

When the dealer has declared one spade, which 
West has passed, you are not under any obligation 
to overcall him. If it suits you to make a bid, 
you will do so, otherwise you are at full liberty 
to pass. Unless you have at least seven spades 
with a tierce major, or six with a quart major, 
it is the height of folly to declare two spades. No 
possible good is done thereby, whereas you have 
deliberately thrown away the protection conferred 
by the Laws upon a one spade call. The one spade 
declaration has told you that South has not even 
the makings of a No Trump hand, and when you 
declare two spades therefore, you must only do 
so in order to intimate to your partner what to 
lead in the event of East declaring No Trump, and 
consequently must have strength as above. If 
you have six or seven clubs with queen knave, or 
queen ten, or even king queen, and very weak 

75 



76 AUCTION BRIDGE 

spades, you will probably do better with clubs 
trumps than spades ; and you may bid one club. 
You are not likely to lose more than the 100 points 
which you are limited to on the one spade call. 
You must not bid one club with less than six and 
two honours. If you hold seven with the tierce 
major, or six with a quart major, you may bid 
two clubs. This will tell your partner what to 
lead if East bids one No Trump, and will also 
force a call of two tricks in a red suit from your 
adversaries. With such strength, you prefer to 
play the hand with clubs rather than leave the 
one spade in. 

If you hold a 26 point hand, you will call one No 
Trump unless it is a better heart hand. 

If you hold five hearts or diamonds, containing 
two honours, and a hand of at least average strength, 
you will bid one heart, or one diamond, as the case 
may be. You will bid one trick also with greater 
strength. If you hold an overwhelmingly strong 
hand you may bid two tricks ; but there is not much 
point in doing so. With six or more in a red suit, 
headed by queen and knave, you will only bid one 
trick, and not two, as is recommended for the 
dealer ; because, when the dealer has declared one 
spade, the reason for bidding two tricks has no 
existence. 

Whenever the dealer starts with one spade, you 
must not expect very much from him, and caution 
should characterise your movements ; although, 
as has already been pointed out, he may hold useful 
support in the red suits. 

When your partner's one spade call has been 



DECLARATIONS BY THIRD PLAYER 77 

doubled by West, or overcalled by one club, you 
know that the latter holds an auxiliary No Trump 
hand ; or when West bids two spades or two clubs, 
you are aware of great strength being against you in 
that suit on your right. You also know that East 
will declare one No Trump if his hand admits of it. 
You will be influenced by exactly the same con- 
siderations as those I have recommended for the 
guidance of West under the same conditions : and 
will proceed accordingly. When West overcalls 
South's one spade declaration with one diamond, 
or one heart, or bids one No Trump, you will again 
model your procedure upon that recommended for 
West when South has bid one No Trump, or one 
trick in a red suit. 

When your partner, by declaring two spades, or 
one club, has notified that he holds an auxiliary 
No Trumper, and West has passed, you may 
bid one No Trump on a hand that does not count 
quite up to 26. It is a matter of individual 
taste entirely, how much less you care to gamble 
on. 

When the values assigned to the cards by Mr. 
Whitfeld in his formula were fixed, they were based 
upon the results of a large number of trials ; and in 
the same way, the minimum number of points 
requisite for a sound No Trump declaration was 
arrived at. These experiments showed what was 
the average expectation in tricks from the un- 
known cards in the hand of the declarant's partner, 
and this average comes to about three tricks. The 
strength I have suggested for an auxiliary No 
Trumper is something under 26 points — or, say, a 



78 AUCTION BRIDGE 

very great likelihood of at least three tricks. If we 
fix it at four tricks, I should not feel inclined, in reci- 
procation, to bid one No Trump on less than a 21 
point hand. 

It is rather curious that so many players should 
be obsessed with the idea that at Auction Bridge 
their aim should be to get in the first bid of No 
Trumps. If you have a strong hand, there is no 
better declaration ; but if you have not, it is just 
as easy to incur penalty losses without a trump, as 
with any other declaration. Therefore, in response 
to your partner's intimation that he holds an auxili- 
ary No Trump hand, your bids should always be 
tempered with discretion. 

Besides signifying the possession of an auxiliary 
No Trump hand, the declaration of two spades, or 
one club, may also mean that your partner is strong 
only in the suit named ; so that, if you are pro- 
tected in the other three suits, and have an 
honour in the spade or club that is bid, with a 
couple of small ones, there is a strong probability 
that you will make five or six tricks in the suit 
indicated. 

On the other hand, when South declares two 
clubs, you know that his strength is concentrated 
in the club suit, and that he has nothing in the 
reds. If then, you hold (say) the knave and 
another, you may be pretty sure of seven tricks in 
clubs ; or if you have not the knave, you may 
reckon on almost as a certainty at least four tricks. 
With three or four little clubs you may count on 
five tricks. These are all considerations which you 
must take into account. 



DECLARATIONS BY THIRD PLAYER 79 

Here follow some hands with which, upon a two 
club declaration by your partner, passed up to you, 
you will bid one No Trump, and with which you are 
practically certain of making the odd trick, and 
have a very fair chance of winning the game : — 



l. 



Hearts — Ace, queen, 5. 
Diamonds — King, knave, 9, 

2. 
Clubs— 8, 4, 3. 
Spades — King, 7, 6. 



2. 

Hearts — King, queen, 4, 2. 
Diamonds — Queen, knave, 8, 

3. 
Clubs — Knave, 5. 

-Ace, knave, 6. 



3. 

Hearts — King, 6. 
Diamonds — Queen, 10, 8, 
Clubs— 9, 7, 4, 3. 
Spades — Ace, king, 5, 2. 



When your partner declares two spades or 
one club you will have to infer from what 
you hold, whether the bid denotes an auxiliary 
No Trump hand, or strength only in the suit 
named. 

When you hold hands such as the following, it 
must be auxiliary No Trump : — 



4. 

Hearts — Knave, 10, 7, 6. 
Diamonds — Ace, knave, 8. 
Clubs — Queen, 9, 4. 
Spades — King, 3, 2. 



5. 

Hearts — King, queen, 10, 2. 
Diamonds — 9, 7, 6. 
Clubs— Ace, 8, 3. 
Spades — Queen, knave, 4. 



6. 



Hearts — Queen, 8, 5. 
Diamonds — Knave, 7, 4. 
Clubs — King, knave, 6, 3. 
Spades — Ace, 10, 2. 



Hearts — Knave, 10, 9, 8. 
Diamonds — Knave, 10, 5, 4. 
Clubs — Ace, 3. 
Spades — King, queen, 2. 



80 AUCTION BRIDGE 

8. 

Hearts — 6, 5, 4. 
Diamonds — Ace, 9, 7. 
Clubs — Ace, knave, 3, 2. 
Spades — Ace, 8, 3. 

When you hold hands as under it must be strength 
in the suit named : — 

9. 10. 



Hearts — Ace, 10, 7, 5. 
Diamonds — Queen, knave, 8, 

3. 
Clubs— King, 9, 2. 
Spades — 6, 4. 



Hearts — Queen, 10, 9, 6. 
Diamonds — King, queen, 7, 

3. 
Clubs — Ace, knave, 4. 
Spades— 9, 2. 



11. 12. 



Hearts— Knave, 10, 4, 2. 
Diamonds — Queen, 7, 6, 5. 
Clubs — Knave, 3. 
Spades — King, queen, 2. 



Hearts — Ace, 9, 7, 6. 
Diamonds — Ace, 10, 5, 4. 
Clubs— 8, 2. 
Spades — Ace, knave, 3. 



You will, of course, bid one No Trump with all 
the preceding, except No. 8. With such cards 
you have to pass. You cannot make any better 
declaration than your partner's club and certainly 
must not declare No Trump ; whereas if East 
declares a red suit, you may be able to avert 
disaster. 

Next let us consider what you should do when 
your partner has bid two spades, or one club, and 
West has doubled. You now know that the doubled 
suit is out of action, and that if you go into No 
Trumps it will be opened at once. In such positions 
No Trump ought not to be declared, unless you have 
a very strong hand. Supposing South has bid two 
spades, and West has doubled, you know that your 
partner has the club suit barely, if at all, guarded ; 



DECLARATIONS BY THIRD PLAYER 81 

otherwise he would have called one club rather than 
two spades. Therefore he has fair strength in both 
red suits ; and he will probably hold a hand some- 
thing like one of these : — 



Hearts — King, queen, 8, 2. 
Diamonds — King, knave, 4, 

3. 
Clubs— 10, 5. 
Spades — King, knave, 9. 

Hearts — King, queen, 6, 2. 
Diamonds — King, 10, 9, 4. 
Clubs— 3. 
Spades — Knave, 10, 9, 8. 



Hearts — Queen, knave, 9, 8. 
Diamonds — King, queen, 7. 
Clubs— 5, 3. 
Spades — Queen, 10, 4, 2. 



Hearts — Queen, knave, 9. 
Diamonds — King, knave, 5, 

4. 
Clubs— 8, 4, 2. 
Spades — King, 10, 7. 



If South has called one club, and has been doubled, 
we need only transpose the spades and clubs in the 
above examples in order to show the sort of hand he 
is likely to have. 

Now it is obvious that in these circumstances, 
in order to venture on No Trumps, you ought to 
have at least a 26 point hand ; and that further- 
more, in such cases as the above, unless you hold 
the other black suit solid, and good for at least five 
or six tricks, with both red suits guarded, your hand 
can only count 26 with all your strength in the 
hearts and diamonds. Here are some examples : — 



Hearts — Ace, knave, 6, 5. 
Diamonds — Ace, queen, 3, 2. 
Clubs— Queen, 10, 9. 

Spades — 7, 4. 



Hearts — Knave, 10, 9. 
Diamonds — Ace, queen, 5, 3. 
Clubs — King, queen, knave, 

2. 
Spades — 8, 6. 



Hearts — Queen, 10, 4. 
Diamonds — Knave, 10, 8, 2. 
Clubs — Ace, king, queen, 
knave, 10. 

Spades — 7. 

Hearts — Ace, king, 7, 3. 
Diamonds — Queen, 10, 5, 4. 
Clubs — King, knave, 9. 
Spades — 5, 2. 



6 



82 AUCTION BRIDGE 

Hearts — King, 6. 
Diamonds — Queen, 10, 8. 
Clubs — Ace, king, queen, 7, 

4, 3, 2. 
Spades — 5. 

It does not need much examination to recognise 
that such hands, taken in conjunction with your 
partner's, are likely to do better with a red suit 
declared than without a trump. 

Therefore with No. 1 and 4 and similar hands, 
you should declare one heart ; and with No. 3, one 
diamond. With hands like Nos. 2 and 5, a bid of 
one No Trump is probably the best call. 

When your partner declares one diamond, and 
it comes up to you, you should pass ; unless you 
have (1) at least five hearts, with at least two honours 
and a hand of average strength, with nothing in 
diamonds ; (2) weak diamonds, and a 26 point hand, 
with the other suits protected ; (3) at least six 
hearts with the queen knave, and no other tricks 
in your hand ; and (4) very weak diamonds, and 
have not a No Trump hand, but hold seven clubs 
headed by tierce major, or six with quart major. 
In these several positions you should declare respec- 
tively (1) one heart, (2) one No Trump, (3) one 
heart, and (4) two clubs. 

There is a greater possibility of the game, with 
hearts and No Trumps, with the first two holdings. 
With the third, your hand is useless, except with 
hearts trumps ; and in the fourth case, you tell 
your partner what to lead in the event of East 
bidding one No Trump, and you also shut East out 
from calling one heart. If your partner has as 
strong diamonds as you have clubs, he is not pre- 



DECLARATIONS BY THIRD PLAYER 83 

judiced, because he can always bid two diamonds ; 
whereas, if he has not, you do not run any greater 
risk of loss with the club suit than with the diamond. 
With both declarations your expectation of game 
is a zero one. 

When your partner's diamond is overcalledby West 
with one heart, or one No Trump, and you have at 
least three diamonds with an honour, together with 
some plain suit strength, you should bid two dia- 
monds. If you have strong hearts in the first 
case, or a solid black suit in the second, you will 
keep silent, and hope the bid will stand. If 
you have the heart suit stopped, and a 26 point 
hand, you will overcall one heart with one No 
Trump. 

When your partner declares one heart, and it 
comes Up to you, you will generally let it go. If 
you have only one or two small hearts, and a very 
strong diamond suit (say seven with at least three 
honours ; or at least six, with the tierce major or 
four honours) you may bid two diamonds. Also, 
if you are very weak in hearts, and have a 26 point 
hand in the other suits, all of which are protected, 
you may bid one No Trump. It is wrong to overcall 
his heart with any less strength than above. Some- 
times, when your partner declares one heart, which 
comes up to you, you may hold no hearts, or only one 
or two small ones, but you may have a solid club 
suit, good for five or six tricks, and possibly an out- 
side trick. In such cases it is better to overcall the 
heart with two clubs. One of your adversaries may 
be sitting quiet with very strong hearts. If your 
partner holds great strength, no harm is done, since 



84 AUCTION BRIDGE 

he can then bid two hearts. If he has not sufficient 
strength, your club call may enable him to go into 
No Trumps ; and at any rate can do no harm. The 
club strength however must be great and command- 
ing — seven with tierce major or five with quart 
major at least. 

When your partner declares one heart, and West 
calls two clubs, two diamonds, or one No Trump, 
you will bid two hearts, if you hold at least three 
with an honour, and two or three tricks in plain 
suits ; or even if you hold only a couple of small 
hearts, if you are practically sure of four plain suit 
tricks. 

When South's one heart is overcalled by two 
clubs, and you hold not less than six diamonds, 
with at least two honours, and (say) a trick in 
spades, you should declare two diamonds ; and 
the same when West bids one No Trump. 

Should West bid two diamonds over one heart, 
and you can guard the suit, and have no heart 
strength, you should only bid two No Trumps if 
you have powerful black suits. In such cases your 
cards should total 30 points. Otherwise it is 
generally better to pass, and leave your partner 
to call two hearts if he wishes to do so. West is 
not likely to win the game on his call. 

When your partner declares one No Trump, and 
it comes up to you, the only occasions (with the 
score at love, which, in everything relating to 
declarations hitherto, is assumed to be the score) 
on which you may bid two diamonds, are when you 
hold very strong diamonds, say at least six of the 
suit with at least two honours, but without com- 



DECLARATIONS BY THIRD PLAYER 85 

mand, and without the semblance of trick in any- 
thing else. If you hold the top honours with the 
diamonds, it will generally be better to pass. When 
on the other hand you hold very strong hearts, you 
may bid two hearts ; even when you have the 
command. You then avoid any risk of a suit being 
brought in against you, and stand, therefore, as 
good a chance of the game as on your partner's No 
Trump. 

When your partner declares one No Trump, and 
West overcalls with two hearts or two diamonds, 
you should bid two No Trumps, if you can stop 
the heart or diamond suit, and can also give your 
partner other assistance to the extent of three or 
four tricks. In the same way, if West bids two 
diamonds, you may overcall with two hearts, if you 
have not less than six, with at least two honours 
and some other strength. When your partner has 
originally declared two diamonds, which West has 
overcalled with two hearts, or two hearts, which 
West has outbid with two No Trumps, you may 
bid three diamonds, or three hearts, only if you have, 
in the first case, nothing in hearts, and at least three 
diamonds with ace or king, or ace and king, and 
something in the black suits ; and in the second, if 
you hold only one of the top honours in hearts, with 
at least two small ones, and no sure entries in the 
other suits. Obviously, if with preceding hearts, 
you hold certain re-entry cards in the other suits, 
or the ace king and one or more hearts, it is better 
to pass the No Trump bid, and break the contract. 
It is seldom wise to volunteer to make nine tricks, 
when there is strength declared against you ; par- 



86 AUCTION BEIDGE 

ticularly when, even if you fulfil your contract, you 
do not win the game. I think that the preceding 
has anticipated and provided for all the ordinary 
contingencies with which you are likely to be con- 
fronted when you are third players. 



CHAPTER VII 

DECLARATIONS BY THE FOURTH PLAYER 

The further the bidding proceeds the more com- 
plicated the position becomes ; and one is irresistibly 
reminded of the nursery rhyme regarding the 
"House that Jack built." 

When you are fourth player, you will usually have 
derived a certain amount of information from the 
preceding declarations, although it not infrequently 
happens that you have little or nothing to go on. 

When the dealer has declared one spade, and it 
has come up to you, you know that there is no great 
strength held against you by either adversary, also 
that your partner has nothing very out of the way, 
although he may have some good cards. If you 
hold only an average hand, it is a reasonable assump- 
tion that all the hands are of the same description, 
and you will do better to pass the one spade. You 
cannot lose much over it, whereas if you specula- 
tively go into something else, you may quite con- 
ceivably come to grief and lose above the line. 

When you have not a neutral or average hand, 
you are prompted by just the same considerations a» 
actuate the second player in like cases ; and you 
should declare in exactly the same way as he is 
recommended to do, save that there is never any 
necessity to bid two No Trumps. 

87 



88 



AUCTION BRIDGE 



Whenever the dealer signifies that he holds an 
auxiliary No Trumper, or several tricks in the suit 
bid, by declaring two spades or one club, and the 
declaration comes up to you, which is very unlikely, 
you must have either a very strong hand, or only 
an average one, or even one below the average. It 
is impossible to formulate any general rule, and 
you will have to be guided by what you hold. The 
following examples will show how varied these 
holdings may be : — 



Dealer. 

Hearts — King, queen, 7, 5. 
Diamonds — Queen, knave, 6. 
Clubs— 9, 8. 
Spades — King, queen, 4, 3. 



West. 

Hearts — Ace, 8, 6. 
Diamonds — King, 9, 4, 2. 
Clubs— King, 7, 2. 
Spades — Knave, 5, 2. 



North. 

Hearts — Knave, 10, 3. 
Diamonds — Ace, 7, 3. 
Clubs — Queen, knave 5, 4. 
Spades— 10, 7, 6. 



East. 

Hearts— 9, 4, 2. 
Diamonds — 10, 8, 5. 
Clubs— Ace, 10, 6, 3. 
Spades — Ace, 9, 8. 



Dealer. 

Hearts — King, queen, 7, 5. 
Diamonds — Queen, knave, 6. 
Spades— 9, 8. 
Clubs — King, queen, 4, 3. 



West. 

Hearts— 8, 4, 2. 
Diamonds — Ace, 4, 3. 
Spades — King, 6, 5, 2. 
Clubs — Ace, 7, 6. 



North. 

Hearts — Knave, 9, 3. 
Diamonds— 10, 8, 7, 2. 
Spades — Ace, knave, 10. 
Clubs— 10, 9, 5. 



East. 

Hearts — Ace, 10, 6. 
Diamonds — King, 9, 5. 
Spades — Queen, 7, 4, 3. 
Clubs — Knave, 8, 2. 



Dealer. 

Hearts — King, queen, 7, 5. 
Diamonds — Queen, knave, 6. 
Clubs— 9, 8. 
Spades — King, queen, 4, 3. 



West. 

Hearts— 9, 8, 6. 
Diamonds — 9, 5, 4, 2. 
Clubs— King, 7, 2. 
Spades — Knave, 5, 2. 



DECLARATIONS BY FOURTH PLAYER 89 

North. East. 



Hearts — Knave, 10, 3. 
Diamonds — 10, 7, 3. 
Clubs— Knave, 10, 5, 4. 
Spades— 10, 7, 6. 

Dealer. 

Hearts — Queen, 7, 5. 
Diamonds — King, knave, 3, 

2. 
Clubs— Ace, 6, 4. 
Spades— 10, 9, 8. 

North. 

Hearts — 9, 6. 
Diamonds— 10, 8, 7, 5. 
Clubs— King, 7, 2. 
Spades — Ace, 6, 4, 3. 



Dealer. 

Hearts — Queen, knave, 9. 

Diamonds — 7, 4. 

Clubs — Ace, king, queen, 

knave, 3. 
Spades— 10, 8, 2. 

North. 

Hearts — Ace, 6, 3, 2. 
Diamonds — 10, 5. 
Clubs— 9, 7, 4. 
Spades — King, 9, 5, 4. 



Dealer. 

Hearts — 9, 6. 
Diamonds — Knave, 2. 
Clubs— 7, 4. 

Spades — Ace, king, queen, 
10, 8, 5, 3. 

North. 

Hearts — Knave, 8, 7, 3, 2. 
Diamonds — 5, 4. 
Clubs— 10, 9, 5. 
Spades— 9, 7, 6. 



Hearts — Ace, 4, 2. 
Diamonds — Ace, king, 8. 
Clubs — Ace, queen, 6, 3. 
Spades — Ace, 9, 8. 



West. 

Hearts— 8, 3. 

Diamonds — Queen, 9, 6, 4. 
Clubs — Queen, 5, 3. 
Spades — Knave, 7, 5, 2. 

East. 

Hearts— Ace, king, knave, 

10, 4, 2. 
Diamonds — Ace . 
Clubs— Knave, 10, 9, 8. 
Spades — King, queen. 



West. 

Hearts— King, 10, 8, 4. 
Diamonds — Knave, 9. 
Clubs— 6, 5, 2. 
Spades — Queen, knave, 7, 3. 



East. 

Hearts — 7, 5. 

Diamonds — Ace, king, queen, 

8, 6, 3, 2. 
Clubs— 10, 8. 
Spades — Ace, 6. 



West. 

Hearts — King, queen, 5. 
Diamonds — Queen, 8, 7. 
Clubs — Ace, queen, 6, 3, 2. 
Spades — Knave, 4. 



East. 

Hearts — Ace, 10, 4. 
Diamonds — Ace, king, 

9, 6, 3. 
Clubs — King, knave, 8. 
Spades — 2. 



10, 



90 AUCTION BRIDGE 

With Nos. 1 and 2 you can only pass the two 
spades. With No. 3 you will of course bid one No 
Trump, and with Nos. 4, 5, and 6, one heart, one 
diamond, and one diamond respectively, over one 
club and two spades. 

Whenever the dealer's one spade has been over- 
called by your partner, and passed by the third 
player, you will act in just the same way as the 
third player is recommended to proceed, when the 
dealer's bids of two spades, one or two clubs, one 
or two hearts or diamonds, or one No Trump, come 
up to him. Also, when your partner intimates 
that he holds an auxiliary No Trump hand, or 
strength in a black suit and is overcalled by North, 
you will declare No Trumps or a red suit, in the 
same manner as has been explained in the case of 
the third player, when West has overcalled the 
dealer under similar circumstances. 

In brief, in all cases admitting of overcalling, you 
will follow the same course as has been prescribed 
for the second and third players. For example : — 
the dealer declares one diamond, your partner bids 
one heart, and North declares one No Trump. If 
you hold at least three hearts with an honour, and 
two or three tricks in the plain suits ; or even if you 
have only one or two little hearts, provided that you 
can reckon on four plain suit tricks, you may bid 
two hearts. 

Doubling Original No Trump made 
by Declarer 

When the dealer declares one No Trump origin- 
ally, and it comes up to you, you will bid three 



DECLARATIONS BY FOURTH PLAYER 91 

clubs if you have at least seven with a quart major. 
You only do this in order to intimate to your partner 
that you can make at least seven tricks in the suit 
on his leading it. Even then you may be doubled, 
and if neither you nor your partner can make any- 
thing else, you will lose 200 above. It is therefore 
a bid to be treated cautiously, and usually depends 
on the score. When an original No Trump declara- 
tion of the dealer's comes up to you, and you hold 
at least six certain tricks in spades, you should 
double. 

At straight Bridge, when the younger hand 
doubles a No Trump declaration, he does so in 
order that the elder may lead him a particular suit 
of which he holds the entire command. 

At Auction Bridge, when your suit is hearts or 
diamonds, you are able to intimate the fact by 
overcalling one No Trump with two tricks in it. 
Even if it is clubs, you may bid three tricks if you 
have an exceptionally powerful suit ; but when 
your commanding strength happens to be in spades, 
you are powerless to give any indication of it except 
by doubling the No Trump bid. It has therefore 
come about that when the younger hand doubles 
a No Trump declaration, it is understood to mean 
that he holds an established spade suit. 

This convention is very useful, because by em- 
ploying it you tell your partner to lead a spade, 
and inform him that on his doing so you will make 
at least six tricks. It is therefore, I need hardly 
say, essential that you should hold not less than 
six spades headed by a quint major, or seven headed 
by a quart major. The convention may also be 



92 AUCTION BRIDGE 

employed on such rare occasions as your holding an 
established club suit and the ace of spades. With 
such cards of course you will also double. It is 
absolutely necessary that there should be a clear 
understanding about the double, and there must be 
no tampering with it. Whenever the younger hand 
doubles a No Trump bid, the elder must lead him 
a spade. If the elder has an ace, or an ace king, 
he may lead them first if he likes, but he must then 
lead a spade, before he loses the chance. This 
double is often very useful when the dealer has 
started off with two No Trumps — though as a rule 
the two trick bid is only opened with in order to 
shut out a red suit call. 

There is nothing else in the bidding by the fourth 
player that is not governed by principles identical 
with those that influence the previous bidders, which 
have already been explained. 



CHAPTER VIII 

BIDDING AFTER THE FIRST ROUND 

When the prehistoric proceeding of always opening 
with one spade was abandoned for more rational 
methods, the first declarations ceased to be a 
farce. Now, when players follow an intelligent 
system in their bids, it usually happens that, at 
the conclusion of the first round, some degree of 
information has been imparted as to the various 
hands held. 

Seeing the number of contingencies that may 
arise, and the endless variety of considerations 
involved, it is naturally impossible to provide a text 
to meet every case, or even a fraction of the cases, 
that may occur : and as a rule therefore players 
will have to be guided by circumstances, and by 
their own experience. 

The most difficult problem to solve is when one 
has to distinguish between a spontaneous bid 
and a raise. It is of course often impossible 
to discern which it is. At other times there is 
no doubt. 

The following examples will illustrate some of the 
positions that present themselves. 

South declares one No Trump — West bids two 
93 



94 AUCTION BRIDGE 

hearts, or two diamonds : or South bids one heart, 
or one diamond ; and West declares two clubs, or 
one heart. It is impossible to tell whether West's 
bids are made merely in order to raise South ; or 
whether he has great strength. 

Again, South declares one spade, and West bids 
one No Trump, or one heart. This is a purely 
spontaneous bid. If South bids one diamond, 
West passes, and North declares one heart, or 
one No Trump ; this too is a voluntary pronounce- 
ment. 

South bids one spade, holding — hearts, king, 8, 5 ; 
diamonds, 7, 3; clubs, ace, 9, 4, 2; and spades, knave, 
10, 8, 7. West declares one diamond, North calls 
one heart, East bids two diamonds. What should 
South do ? North's bid may be from strength, or 
it may be merely a raise, and if it is the latter, South 
will spoil the position entirely if he bids two hearts. 
In such circumstances, South's better course is to 
pass, and give North an opportunity of declaring 
two hearts if he is strong. 

Here is another position : — 

South. West. 



Hearts — Knave, 7, 2. 
Diamonds — Ace, knave, 2. 
Clubs— 5, 4, 3. 
Spades — Ace, knave, 10, 8. 



Hearts — 4. 

Diamonds — King, queen, 10, 

8, 7, 5, 3. 
Clubs— King, 9. 
Spades — King, queen, 9. 



North. East. 



Hearts — Ace, king, queen, 9, 

5. 
Diamonds — 4. 
Clubs — Queen, knave, 6, 2. 
Spades— 7, 6, 2. 



Hearts— 10, 8, 6, 3. 
Diamonds — 9, 6. 
Clubs— Ace, 10, 8, 7. 
Spades — 5, 4, 3. 



BIDDING AFTER THE FIRST ROUND 95 

The first round is one spade, one diamond, one 
heart, pass ; then pass, two diamonds, pass, pass. 
South now knows that West is strong, and that 
North has not very great strength in hearts. What 
should he do ? He may either bid two No 
Trumps or two hearts. Holding three hearts with 
an honour, and two aces he ought to declare two 
hearts — West is now in a difficulty, but with seven 
diamonds, including three honours, only one heart, 
and some black suit strength, his best plan is to 
risk three diamonds ; especially since he knows 
that North is not overpoweringly strong in hearts. 
North and East pass. It is again South 's turn and 
he has now three courses open to him : (1) to double 
three diamonds ; (2) to bid three hearts ; or (3) to 
bid two No Trumps. It is nearly always the wisest 
course not to undertake to make nine tricks. The 
men who win most at Auction Bridge are those who 
leave their adversaries with this undertaking. The 
score is in this particular case the determining factor. 
At love all, South should double three diamonds. 
If he is behind, or if it is game all and he has the 
worst of the score, he should bid two No Trumps. 
By doubling he will score 100 above, less 12 for 
West's honours. Without a trump, he would score 
30 above and 24 below. 

Here is another case : — 



South. West. 



Hearts — Queen, 9, 6, 3. 
Diamonds — King, 7, 4. 
Clubs— King, 10, 8, 5. 
Spades— 10, 2. 



Hearts— 8, 7, 4. 

Diamonds — Ace, knave, 10, 

3 2. 
Clubs— 9, 6, 4. 
Spades— 8 3. 



96 AUCTION BRIDGE 



North. East. 



Hearts — Ace, knave, 10, 5. 
Diamonds — Queen, 9, 8. 
Clubs — Queen, 2. 
Spades— 9, 7, 6, 5. 



Hearts — King, 2. 
Diamonds — 6, 5. 
Clubs — Ace, knave, 7, 3. 
Spades — Ace, king, queen, 
knave, 4. 



South declares one spade, West one diamond, 
North one heart, and East one No Trump. 

It is impossible for South to know whether North's 
bid was made merely in order to raise West, or 
whether it is from strength. Probably the former, 
because he holds four hearts himself, and East is 
able to stop the suit. East No Trump call is almost 
surely on black suits, and since South holds four 
Clubs to the king ten, a solid spade suit is indicated. 
North must have at least four hearts, so that if 
South raises to two hearts they will hold at any rate 
eight trumps between them. In this instance, 
South should bid two hearts. Supposing now West 
were to support his partner, and declare two No 
Trumps, North is bound to pass. If West passes 
two hearts, and East himself bids two No Trumps, 
South must not call three hearts, but must let the 
call go up to North. North's hand is not good 
enough to bid three tricks on, in the face of South's 
original one spade. The bid of two No Trumps 
therefore ought not to be overcalled by either South 
or North. 

East and West will make their two No Trumps, 
but North and South would be short of a three 
heart contract by at least one trick. 

The score, as in all preceding examples, is pre- 
sumed to be love all. If East and West are 6 or 
more up, then the three heart call is justifiable. 



BIDDING AFTER THE FIRST ROUND 97 

It is made deliberately, and it means that you are 
prepared to lose 50 or 100 above in order to keep 
your adversaries from winning the game. If they 
should go up to three No Trumps you must retire ; 
but in this case you will make 50 above (less their 
30 for aces) because West and East would fail 
to win nine tricks. 

It is a very good general rule to avoid undertaking 
a contract of nine tricks if you possibly can, and to 
leave your adversaries in whenever they bid over 
eight. Skill in bidding consists in tempting your 
opponents to take on a larger contract than they 
can carry out, and to refuse to be tempted yourself. 
This is why it is such a very important thing at 
Auction Bridge to know when to keep silent. One 
of the most injudicious proceedings is to make 
a raising bid on an impossible hand : yet this 
weakness, coupled with too great a tendency 
to undertake three trick contracts, are the two 
causes that account for nearly all heavy overline 
scores. 

It is asking for trouble, for instance, to call two 
hearts or two diamonds on a weak hand containing 
but five trumps without ace and king over a No 
Trump bid made by North, when South has noti- 
fied the possession of an auxiliary No Trumper ; 
nevertheless, there are players who do it. 

When your partner, as has been explained in the 
chapters on declaring, overbids your call, and you 
elect to overcall him in turn, he should leave you 
with the bid, unless his cards are almost certainly 
better than yours. For instance, South declares 
one heart, North bids one No Trump, and South 

7 



98 



AUCTION BRIDGE 



bids two hearts. Unless North has a practically 
certain game without trumps, he should leave 
the two hearts in. Should he declare two No 
Trumps, South should not overcall with three 
hearts unless he holds seven or eight hearts with 
at least the four top honours, and nothing else in 
bis hand. 

The following remarkable hands recently oc- 
curred : — 



South. 

Hearts — Ace, king, queen, 

10, 8, 7, 3, 2. 
Diamonds — 6, 4. 
Clubs— 5. 
Spades — 9, 3. 

North. 

Hearts — None. 

Diamonds — Ace, king, queen, 

5,2. 
Clubs — Ace, queen, 10, 7. 
Spades — Ace, king, 8, 6. 



West. 

Hearts — Knave, 5, 4. 
Diamonds — 3. 
Clubs — King, knave, 9, 8, 6. 
Spades — Knave, 5, 4, 2. 



East. 

Hearts— 9, 6. 
Diamonds — Knave, 10, 

8, 7. 
Clubs— 4, 3, 2. 
Spades — Queen, 10, 7. 



South bid one heart, North overcalled with one 
No Trump. South bid two hearts — North bid two 
No Trumps — South declared three hearts. 

North was perhaps right to bid two No Trumps, 
because he had a very strong hand, and South 's two 
heart call did not necessarily imply commanding 
and overwhelming strength : but he certainly 
should not have overcalled three hearts. Without 
a heart in his hand, South 's hearts were useless on 
a No Trump declaration. However, North did bid 
three No Trumps. South concluded that if North 
held all the other cards, the game was certain with 
hearts trumps, and he bid therefore five hearts. 



BIDDING AFTER THE FIRST ROUND 99 

North then retired, and of course North and South 
made a grand slam. Had South, assuming that 
North had everything else, and a heart to put him 
in with (as he had a right to do), left the bid at three 
No Trumps, they would have been two tricks under 
their contract. It was only because he held the 
four honours in hearts that he reckoned five hearts 
as good as three No Trumps. 

Here is another hand I have recorded. The score 
was game all, and West and East 18 up. South 
dealt, and declared one heart — West bid two dia- 
monds. North passed, and East called two No 
Trumps. 

This was an altogether unjustifiable and ridiculous 
bid. The score being what it was, South bid three 
hearts. West, becoming ruffled, overcalled with 
four diamonds. South passed, and in order to 
reduce their liability, East bid three No Trumps. 
South doubled, as he would also have doubled four 
diamonds : all passed. The hands were as follows : — 

South. West. 



Hearts — Ace, king, 9, 8, 5, 3. 
Diamonds — Ace, 8. 
Clubs — Knave, 7, 6. 
Spades — 4, 2. 



Hearts — 7, 2. 

Diamonds — King, queen, 

knave, 10, 9, 5, 4, 2. 
Clubs— Ace, 4, 3. 
Spades — none. 



North. East. 



Hearts — 10. 

Diamonds — 7, 3. 

Clubs — King, queen, 10, 5, 

2. 
Spades— King, 10, 9, 8, 3. 



Hearts — Queen, knave, 6, 4. 
Diamonds — 6. 
Clubs— 9, 8. 

Spades — Ace, queen, knave, 
7, 6, 5. 



South was a very good player. He knew East 



100 AUCTION BRIDGE 

must have the hearts well guarded, so he did not 
open with a heart. Knowing that his ace king 
must make later, and that he would always get in 
with his ace of diamonds, he started with the 
knave of clubs : and North and South scored 400 
above. Had four diamonds been left in, South 
would also have doubled, and would have scored 
500 above, less 48. 

This bidding was all wrong. East should have 
passed West's two diamonds. He had not even the 
semblance of a No Trump hand, certainly not an 
overcalling one : besides with the score of 18, two 
diamonds was enough. The bidding ought to have 
gone as follows : one heart, two diamonds, pass, 
pass : two hearts, three diamonds, pass, pass ; three 
hearts, pass, pass, pass. East must on no account 
double, because if he does, and South fulfils his con- 
tract, it gives South the rubber. The three heart 
contract fails, and South loses 50 above, less 16. 
Nevertheless, three hearts is a proper bid, in order 
to prevent East and West winning the rubber. As 
a matter of fact, three diamonds would also have 
failed. 

The foregoing illustrations will show some of the 
situations that have to be faced, but experience 
alone can decide how to deal with many others. 

In discussing the various declarations so far, the 
score has always been presumed to be love. 

At Auction Bridge the game is generally won at 
a bound, and there is no gradual advance to the goal 
by progressive steps. 

The bidding element usually eliminates all the 
minor suits, and it is not often that you have the 



BIDDING AFTER THE FIRST ROUND 101 

chance of building up your score by degrees. Never- 
theless it not infrequently happens that the score is 
12, 16, 18, or 24, and it is then that most over line 
penalties accrue. 

Declarations that are sound at love are also 
equally sound when some progress towards the 
game has been achieved ; but it by no means follows 
that the converse applies, and many declarations 
that you may make when you are within a trick of 
the game would be open to very serious question 
if the score were love. You are often justified in 
declaring at this stage in a manner that would be 
indefensible at the start ; and in the same way, in 
such positions bids are overcalled with cards that 
under other conditions would not legitimately 
warrant such temerity. 

The point I wish particularly to emphasise in 
this connexion is that one does not make these 
declarations and overcalls in these circumstances 
because there is any better chance of their succeed- 
ing, but because the conditions are such that each 
side will try to force his adversary into a contract 
that will fail. 

In my book on Bridge ■ I have adduced proofs to 
show that the score has no appreciable bearing on 
the soundness of a declaration ; and exactly the 
same arguments apply at Auction Bridge, in so 
far as the mere score is concerned, but at the 
latter game you are overdeclaring and overbidding 
with your eyes open — not with any idea of succeed- 
ing, but with the different object of forcing your 
adversaries across the border line of a safe contract. 

1 De la Rue & Co., 6d. edition. 



102 AUCTION BRIDGE 

When, for instance, you are 18 up in the final 
game, and deal yourself the following hand : Hearts, 
knave, 10, 9, 4 ; diamonds, ace, 10, 8, 6 ; clubs, 
king, 7 ; and spades, queen, 5, 2, you bid one No 
Trump unhesitatingly ; or, if you are 24 up, with 
hearts, ace, knave, 6, 3 ; diamonds, queen, 10, 4, 2 ; 
clubs, 9, 7 ; and spades 6, 5, 3, you will declare one 
heart. In neither case would you so declare at 
love. You are almost sure to be overcalled what- 
ever you bid, so you may as well make it expensive. 
If not, you may win the game, and are prepared to 
pay a penalty for the chance. If your No Trump 
is overcalled with two in a red suit, or your heart 
with two diamonds, you may break the contract ; 
or perhaps your partner will chip in and raise the 
opposition to a bid of three or four. It is, of course, 
necessary to use some common sense, and not make 
absolutely impossible declarations and outrageous 
overbids. All I wish to invite attention to is, 
that, for the reasons given, lighter declarations 
may be made when one is within sight of goal 
than at the start ; and that one may, on that 
account, overcall with greater confidence and 
lesser strength. 

Finally, although all the declarations that have 
been recommended are based upon perfectly sound 
principles, it is not suggested that you should in- 
variably make them. Occasionally, when you are 
in a good position, you may, to begin with, prefer to 
remain silent when you hold a strong hand, in the 
hope of entrapping your adversaries into overcallmg. 
This is part of the strategy at Auction Bridge, but 
it is best learnt by experience : and I will only 



BIDDING AFTER THE FIRST ROUND 103 

repeat, in conclusion, that you must not always 
declare in exactly the same stereotyped way, but 
should alter your methods whenever you can do so 
without misleading your partner, and so long as you 
do not violate any recognised convention. 



CHAPTER IX 

DOUBLING 

Because doubling at Auction Bridge has, by re- 
opening the bidding, the same effect as a declara- 
tion, I will refer to it next. 

Before the Laws were altered in such a manner 
as to penalise a side which fails to justify its double 
of a declaration by defeating it, doubling was rather 
recklessly indulged in. Now, when a player knows 
that if he doubles a declaration, and the declarer 
fulfils his contract, he will lose 50 points above the 
line, and an additional 50 points for every trick 
made in excess of the contract, it has a decidedly 
deterrent effect. Nevertheless, judicious doubling 
is one of the most effective weapons in the armoury 
of the skilful Auction Bridge player : and the 
opportunities for using it most frequently occur 
when one side or the other, or both, have partially 
advanced their scores. Each is then desirous of 
preventing the other from going out, and the result 
is usually that one of the hands is pretty sure to 
be overcalled. 

Since doubling opens the door to further bidding, 
it is a useless proceeding, other than for informatory 

104 



DOUBLING 105 

purposes, to double any declaration that can easily 
be switched away from. It is foolish, except with 
the object of affording information to your partner, 
to double any black suit declaration, except three 
clubs. It is of no avail with strong cards to double 
one diamond, one heart, or one No Trump, because 
the doubled side is sure to shift to one heart, one 
No Trump, or two diamonds or hearts. Even a 
call of two diamonds is not often successfully 
doubled. Apart from the futility of such doubles, 
the gain to be secured is not so temptingly 
great. 

Of course it may occasionally happen that you 
may hold a solid suit of seven or eight spades 
or clubs when you are elder hand, and when 
the dealer has bid one No Trump, and has been 
pushed up to two No Trumps by your partner 
calling two hearts ; in which fortunate circum- 
stances you will of course double. Your partner 
having indicated heart strength, your adversaries 
can only get out of the hole they are in by 
bidding four diamonds, which is a very unlikely 
call, and one that, if it is made, is pretty sure 
to come to grief. This happy position, however, 
is not one in which you are often likely to find 
yourself. 

It is almost always contracts of more than two 
tricks that fail ; still, if you invariably wait until 
your adversaries have been enticed into the three 
or more trick zone before you double them, your 
opportunities for doubling will be very much fewer 
than if you are less greedy. 

You must be very chary of doubling any declara- 



106 AUCTION BRIDGE 

tion which, but for the double, would not win 
the game ; and it is better, in cases of doubt 
on this point, to leave such doubles alone. For 
instance, the score is love, and the bid is two 
hearts or three diamonds. If you double, and 
the declarer fulfils his contract, he wins the 
game ; whereas if he had not been doubled, he 
would only have scored 16 or 18. On the other 
hand, if he is 14 or more up, he will win the 
game in either case if he fulfils his contract, 
whether doubled or not. In these latter posi- 
tions, when the game result is not affected by the 
double, you are not hindered by any considera- 
tion of that kind ; and such doubles have accord- 
ingly come to be called free doubles. Although 
convenient and sufficiently explanatory, the term 
" free " is scarcely accurate ; because, when such 
doubles fail, a penalty of 50 points is incurred for 
the failure. In fact, every double is in favour of 
the declarer, and against the doubler. For instance, 
South has declared two diamonds and has been 
doubled. South wins eight tricks, and scores 24 
below and 50 above for fulfilling his contract : or 
he wins only seven tricks, and loses 100 above. If 
he is not doubled, he wins only 12 in the first case, 
and loses 50 in the second. Clearly the doubler is at 
a disadvantage. 

When in doubt about doubling, it is well to 
remember that an overcall is often made upon less 
strength than an original bid ; and you may there- 
fore venture to double such overbids with less 
diffidence. Say the dealer has bid one heart, and 
West has overcalled with two diamonds. If you 



DOUBLING 107 

hold a fair black suit hand, and four diamonds with 
a couple of honours, or five with one, you may 
safely double. In the same way, two clubs are 
often called over one heart, with no remarkable 
strength, and this bid may therefore also be doubled 
somewhat freely. 

There is another kind of double that has to be 
carefully considered. This is when the dealer 
declares one heart or one diamond, and you are 
able to stop the suit twice. It has already been 
explained how a black suit is to be doubled, in 
order to intimate to one's partner that, in the event 
of his bidding No Trumps, the doubler holds the 
declared suit. The question for consideration is 
the extension of this principle to red suits, and 
the difficulty of course lies in the danger of such a 
proceeding. 

If you double a red bid, with not more than four 
possible tricks in your hand, and your partner is 
neither able to declare No Trumps nor to take you 
out, you stand a very fair chance of losing the game 
by your double. 

Therefore, unless the red suit bidder's score is 
such that the game result is not affected by the 
double — in other words, unless he is 22 or 24 up 
when he bids one heart or one diamond — you should 
not double a red suit for information' sake. On the 
other hand, when it is a " free " double, and you 
can stop the suit twice, and hold at least one other 
trick, you should double the declaration. You do 
so solely in order to tell your partner that he may 
declare No Trumps safely as far as the declared 
suit is concerned. This may be of great value, 



108 AUCTION BRIDGE 

as the following hands will show : — You hold : 
hearts, ace, knave, 7 ; nothing in diamonds and 
clubs ; and the king, queen, and three small spades. 
Your partner holds : hearts, 3, 2 ; diamonds, ace, 
king, knave, 6, 4 ; clubs, king, queen, 10, 8 ; 
and spades, ace, 9. The dealer declares one 
heart. If you pass, all your partner can do is 
to bid two diamonds. If the dealer then bids 
two hearts, everything is of course easy, and 
you double ; but with such cards out against 
him, the two diamonds will probably be left in ; 
and may even fail. If on the other hand you 
double the dealer's one heart, your partner no 
longer fears the heart suit, and of course bids 
one No Trump, and will go into two No Trumps 
if necessary : in either event you will most likely 
win the game. 

Therefore, whenever with at least one other trick 
in your hand, you hold the ace, queen, and another, 
ace, knave, and another, king, queen, and another, 
or king, knave, and two others, or similar com- 
binations, of a red suit in which one trick is bid, 
you should double, provided that the bidder is 22 
or 24 up. 

It occasionally happens that a double affords a 
player an opportunity of retreating from an un- 
tenable position. Let us say that South has declared 
one spade ; West passes ; North bids one heart ; 
East overcalls with two clubs. South raises to 
two hearts ; West and North pass. East doubles ; 
South and West pass. North, whose hearts are 
not very grand, declares two No Trump — which 
all pass. The declarer makes the odd trick, and 



DOUBLING 109 

loses only 50 above. Had the double heart 
remained, the declarer would have lost 300 
above. Obviously experience only can guide you 
in positions such as the foregoing, but you should 
always be on the look-out for them when you are 
doubled. 

A point that should never be lost sight of, in 
connection with the preceding, is that the partner 
of the original bidder should never interfere with 
the doubled declaration unless he is sure that his 
intervention will be to the mutual advantage. It 
would have been absurd, for example, in the case 
just instanced, if South had bid three diamonds, 
merely in order to get his partner out of the 
doubled two hearts. For all he knew, South was 
glad to be doubled ; yet one often comes across 
players who think it is incumbent upon them to 
make ridiculous declarations when their partner's 
bids have been doubled. Always remember there- 
fore that your partner may be quite satisfied for 
the double to stand. Of course, if you have a 
sure get out, it is another matter, and you should 
utilise it. 

It is not necessary in some situations that you 
should have strong trumps, or even any trumps 
at all, in order to double. If your partner and one 
of your adversaries have been bidding against one 
another, and your partner's three diamonds have 
been overcalled by three hearts, you may double 
the hearts if you have the aces and kings of both 
black suits, even though you have not a heart in your 
hand. This is fairly obvious, but there are graded 
degrees of strength which are less simple, and it is 



110 AUCTION BRIDGE 

not possible to do more than call attention to such 
contingencies. 

Doubling is one of the sciences of Auction 
Bridge, which can only be fully acquired after 
long experience. 



CHAPTER X 

GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF THE GAME WHEN THERE 
ARE TRUMPS 

The strategy at Auction Bridge differs materially 
when a trump suit has been declared, and when 
there are No Trumps. 

The method of attack constitutes the main differ- 
ence, and involves a radical alteration in the style 
of leading. The history of whist may be useful 
here. The world of whist was divided into the 
long-suit players, who followed " Cavendish " and 
Hamilton ; and the short-suit contingent, who had 
Howell for their apostle. The long-suit adherents 
contended that their method was the only scientific 
one, whereas the short-suit school claimed that it 
could beat the long-suiters out of the field every 
time. 

Fortunately, by means of duplicate whist, it was 
possible to settle the question beyond dispute ; and 
in the great American League tournaments the short- 
suit game was able to establish its supremacy by 
reason of its disciples signally defeating their rivals. 
It was thus conclusively proved, in a manner which 
admits of no further argument, that the short-suit 
method is the most effective. 

The success of short-suit whist-players is due to 
ill 



112 AUCTION BRIDGE 

the fact that they do not bind themselves always to 
follow one undeviating principle. 



Varieties of Strategy 

What applied to whist applies also to Auction 
Bridge ; and when a trump suit has been declared, 
you should follow short-suit whist tactics. There 
are five forms of strategy employed, which are 
known as : (1) the high-card game, (2) the supporting- 
card game, (3) the ruffing game, (4) the long-suit 
game, and (5) the trump attack. 

The high-card game is played when the leader 
holds a sequence of top cards, such as ace, king, etc. ; 
ace, king, queen, etc. ; king, queen, knave, etc. ; or 
queen, knave, ten, etc. 

The supporting-card game (which is the principal 
one, and is described by Howell as " the essence of 
short-suit play ; the theme, of which other forms of 
strategy are but variations ") is the form that is of 
the greatest utility at Auction Bridge. 

Four cards are reserved for the supporting-card 
game — the queen, the knave, the ten, and the 
nine. In playing it, the highest must always be 
led ; and it is essential for the success of the lead 
that the younger hand should finesse deeply. 

Short Suit Leads 

The ruffing game is when the leader opens a short 
suit, in the hope of making one or more small trumps. 
The cards reserved for leading at the ruffing game 
at short-suit whist are the eight, seven, and six, 



GENERAL PRINCIPLES WHEN TRUMPS 113 

which are led as the "top of nothing," or as the 
head of two or three little ones. 

The long-suit game is only selected by the short- 
suit follower when he holds a good plain suit, fair 
strength in trumps, and at least one re-entry card in 
another suit. The cards reserved for leading at 
the long-suit game are the two, three, four, and five. 

The trump attack is only chosen when the leader 
holds four very good trumps, or five or more to- 
gether with a strong plain suit. 

These are the five forms into which the scientific 
short-suit whist-player divides his game ; and it 
will be found that, when a trump suit has been 
declared, the whole scheme of Auction Bridge leads 
will perfectly naturally range itself under one or 
other of these heads. 

The essence of long-suit whist consisted of an 
effort to establish and bring in a long suit. This 
being so, the original leader's first card was selected 
in order to direct his partner to the suit he wished 
to bring in. So that he might aid in this object, his 
partner, if he was strong in trumps, would lead them 
as soon as he got a chance. 

It is clear that at Auction Bridge, when an attack- 
ing trump declaration has been made, all strategy 
of this nature becomes an absurdity. 

Again, if a long-suit whist-player originally opened 
with a supporting card, the lead frequently resulted 
in the sacrifice of a high card held by his partner. 
This also occurs occasionally at Auction Bridge ; 
but, since the strengthener at the latter game is led 
through an exposed hand, the leader's partner is 
better able both to gauge the nature of the lead 

8 



114 AUCTION BRIDGE 

and to finesse more deeply. Another important 
consideration is that, at Auction Bridge, in such 
situations as may occur when the cards held by the 
younger hands are likely to be sacrificed by the 
lead of a supporting card, they stand an equally 
good chance of being similarly sacrificed by the 
declarer, later on, leading through them from the 
exposed hand, even though the elder hand avoids 
touching the suit. Two simple illustrations will 
render this clearer. Hearts are trumps in both 
examples : — 

Elder. Dummy. 



Clubs— 9, 4. 

Spades — Ace, queen, knave, 
3, 2. 



Clubs — Queen, 10, 7. 
Spades— 9, 8, 6. 



Younger. Declarer. 

Clubs — King, knave, 8, 6. Clubs — Ace, 5, 3, 2. 



Spades — 10, 4. Spades — King, 7, 5. 

At Auction Bridge, the elder hand leads the nine 
of clubs ; Dummy plays the ten ; the younger plays 
the knave ; declarer wins with the ace. As soon 
as the younger gets in, he does not return the tenace 
club suit, but leads the ten of spades up to the ex- 
posed weakness in Dummy. The elder wins, and 
leads a second club through the exposed queen — 
elder and younger thus make five tricks in these two 
suits. At long-suit whist, if the elder opened with 
the nine of clubs, his partner would play his king, 
because the cards on his right are not exposed. The 
command of the suit would then lie with dummy. 
Nor would the younger hand, when he gets in, lead 
the ten of spades ; because he would not see the 



GENERAL PRINCIPLES WHEN TRUMPS 115 

weak spades in Dummy's hand. He would probably 
return a club. The foregoing is a favourable dis- 
position of the cards. Let us try another : — 

Elder. Dummy. 

Clubs— 9, 4. | Clubs— 5, 3, 2. 

Younger. Declarer. 

Clubs — King, knave, 8, 6. Clubs — Ace, queen, 10, 7. 

Here, if the elder opens with the nine of clubs, the 
declarer sits over the younger all round. On the 
other hand, even supposing the elder does not open 
with the supporting club, the declarer, as soon as 
dummy gets the lead, will lead through the younger ; 
or rather he will lead to his own tenace ; because of 
course he does not know that the younger holds the 
king, knave, etc. Thus, there is no greater loss 
to the elder hand whether he opens the club suit, or 
whether he leaves it alone. In whist, and in Auction 
Bridge, the result of the lead with this second dis- 
tribution would be equally unfavourable. 

One point must never be lost sight of. The 
great feature — the dominating principle — of the 
supporting-card lead is that it enables the younger 
hand to finesse, and to preserve his high cards. It 
is essential that this should be thoroughly under- 
stood. 

If the elder starts with a ten or nine, and the 
younger holds the king with three or four small ones, 
he should hardly ever play the king. Even with 
the ace to his right, it is better to pass ; if he can 
count three with the declarer. No good card has 
been sacrificed, and the declarer has to open up to 



116 AUCTION BRIDGE 

him, whilst he and his partner still retain such high 
cards as were dealt to them. 

Supposing the elder hand starts with the knave, 
from knave and another. Five of the suit to the 
nine appear in dummy. The younger holds ace, 
queen, and another. He must of course pass the 
knave ; for, by so doing, he retains the command 
over dummy for two rounds. 



Singleton Leads 

Coming to original singleton leads, the gravest 
objection to them at whist was that they misled the 
leader's partner into assuming the suit to be the 
leader's strongest ; and if he had a powerful hand, 
he proceeded to extract trumps at once, if he got in, 
in order to assist his partner to establish and bring 
in his supposed long suit. It is easy to see how 
disastrous this was. At Auction Bridge, since your 
adversaries select their trump suit, it is obvious that 
this objection is non-existent. 

When, in cases where the bidding has disclosed 
nothing, a singleton is led, there is always the danger 
of finding the suit to be one in which your adver- 
saries hold all the strength, and in such cases such 
leads spell disaster. It may also happen that by 
opening with a singleton, a high card of your 
partner's, that might otherwise have made a trick, 
or proved useful in checking the adverse establish- 
ment of a suit, is sacrificed on the first round, with- 
out any compensating gain ; or a tenace may be 
destroyed. It must also be remembered that the 



GENERAL PRINCIPLES WHEN TRUMPS 117 

declarer is in a much better position than your 
partner is, to diagnose whether the card led is a 
singleton or not ; and being the possessor of the 
trump strength, he may, if he wins the trick (if it 
suits him to do so), draw the trumps, and render the 
would-be ruffer impotent. 

Against these drawbacks must be placed on the 
credit side the opportunities that singleton leads 
often give the leader of making one or two small 
trumps, although in this connexion it is as well to 
point out that it will rarely happen that the single- 
ton leader will obtain more than two ruffs, albeit 
one is as much as he can ordinarily hope for ; because 
in order to have the suit led to him a second or 
third time, his partner has to obtain the lead two or 
three times before trumps are extracted ; and this, 
against a sound declaration, argues a very unusual 
hand. 

When, therefore, you are elder hand you should 
examine your cards in the light of the declaration 
and the bidding, and decide upon what form of 
strategy you will embark. 

If you hold a suit containing winning cards, your 
most advantageous course is to play the high-card 
game, and lead one. This will give you an oppor- 
tunity of seeing dummy without losing the lead, 
which may be of some assistance to you. If, how- 
ever, you hold no ace king suits, or other high 
combinations, it is best to open with a supporting 
card, or a singleton. In selecting a supporting card, 
when the bidding has told you nothing, it may of 
course happen that you hit upon the suit in which 
the adversaries hold all the strength, but that is a 



118 AUCTION BRIDGE 

risk inseparable from such ventures, and you may- 
console yourself with the knowledge that, in such 
circumstances, your strengthening card would in 
no case have been of any use for either attack or 
defence. 

We have now got thus far — that your best open- 
ing lead is from an ace king, or ace king queen suit, 
next from a king queen knave, or king queen 
suit ; and that, failing these, you should lead a sup- 
porting card (a queen, knave, ten, or nine) or a 
singleton. 

Avoidance of Tenace Opening 

There is one kind of lead that you should always 
eschew, and that is a lead from a tenace. The 
short-suit whist-player sedulously avoids opening 
from any suit headed by an ace queen, king knave, 
or ace knave ; and experiments have shown that 
at Auction Bridge it is even more disadvantageous 
to lead from these tenaces. A player is more likely 
to win tricks in such suits, if he waits for them to be 
led by some one else. This was remarkably de- 
monstrated in the American Whist League Trophy 
Finals in 1894, when the following hand occurred : — 
nine, six, of spades ; king, nine, eight, five, of hearts ; 
king, knave, nine, six, three, of clubs ; and ten, 
four, of diamonds. All the long-suit players of 
course started with the six of clubs ; but the short- 
suiters opened with the ten of diamonds. As a 
result, the latter method of play won seven tricks 
as against five by the former. It is hardly neces- 
sary to explain that these whist league tests were 



GENERAL PRINCIPLES WHEN TRUMPS 1 1 9 

decided by Duplicate Whist, so that the proof, on 
that particular hand, is conclusive. 

Rejecting, then, all tenace suits, the field of selec- 
tion becomes narrowed, and the only remaining 
combinations are (i) suits of three cards headed by 
ace, king, or queen ; (ii) suits of four or more cards, 
headed by ace, king, queen, or knave ; (iii) suits 
headed by king, queen ; and (iv) long suits, headed 
by lower cards than the knave. 

If you are driven to open a suit of ace and two 
small ones, lead a small one ; but with four or more 
in the suit, lead the ace. If, however, you have any 
other suit you can start with, it is inadvisable to 
lead out an ace. The chance of making it is hardly 
at all affected by leading it out at once, whereas 
later on it may prove of great obstructive value. 
Never lead a small one from king and others. If 
you are compelled to open from a queen and two 
others, lead a queen. Do not lead away from her. 

From suits of four or more headed by a knave, 
a small one is a useful protective lead, when no 
better combination is held. From king, queen, and 
others, it is usual to lead the king ; but if you do 
not touch the suit, there is always a chance of making 
both the king and the queen. From king and queen 
only, the king is an excellent lead. If your partner 
happens to have the ace you will make both king 
and queen ; whereas, if one of your adversaries holds 
it, you lose nothing. 

An original lead from a long suit of four or more, 
headed by moderate cards, is your last refuge, and 
should only be resorted to when you hold no win- 
ning cards, no singleton, and no strengthening 



120 AUCTION BRIDGE 

cards. You then open a long snit merely as a 
measure of defence, in order to hinder the declarer. 

It may occasionally happen that you hold four 
pretty strong trumps, together with a good plain 
suit, and a re-entry card or two — when you should 
lead from the strong plain suit, in the hope of 
bringing it in or hampering the declarer. On other 
occasions you may hold strong black suits, and your 
partner may have shown some strength in the 
other red suit ; when your best lead is a trump. 
It is led on the principle that trumps being the 
only weapon your adversaries have ; you wish 
to exhaust them as speedily and as harmlessly as 
you can. 

At Auction Bridge you always hare to lead 
originally up to the declarer, and you generally 
know what his strong suit is. You also very often 
know, from the bidding, which is dummy's strong 
suit, and which is your partner's, and you must 
regulate your leads accordingly. 

At Auction Bridge, since you always have to 
open up to the declarer you must never lead a trump 
to your partner's double. 

When the contract is a heavy one, he may of 
course have doubled without much trump strength, 
on all-round strong playing cards, or upon powerful 
black suits, when you have been pushing the declarer 
up with the other red one. In such cases it would 
appear good policy to extract trumps ; nevertheless 
it is better to open your own suit, or lead a strength- 
ener in one of the blacks, and leave your partner 
to put a trump through the declarer, if he wishes 
to do so. 



GENERAL PRINCIPLES WHEN TRUMPS 121 



Table of Leads 

As a rule, when you are opposed to the declarer 
you are acting on the defensive, and your object 
should be to open in such a manner as to do as little 
harm as possible before dummy's hand is exposed ; 
and the leads best designed to achieve this aim are 
given below, as much as possible in their order 
of merit : — 

Lead — 

The ace, from ace, king only. 

The king, from ace, king, queen, knave, with or without 
others. 

The king, from ace, king, queen, with or without others. 

The king, from ace, king, knave, with or without others. 

The king, from ace, king, etc. 

A singleton, if three or four small trumps are held. 

The king, from king, queen only. 

The king, from king, queen, knave, with or without others. 

The queen, from queen, knave, or queen and another. 

The knave, from knave, ten, or knave and another. 

The ten, from ten, nine, or ten and another. 

The nine, from nine, eight, or nine and another. 

The queen, from queen, knave, ten, nine, with or with- 
out others. 

The queen, from queen, knave, ten, with or without 
others. 

The king, from king, queen, ten, with or without others. 

The king, from king, queen, and small ones. 

The knave, from knave, ten, nine, with or without others. 

The knave from knave, ten, nine ; knave, ten, and another, 
or knave and two small ones. 

The ten, from any three cards headed by the ten. 

The nine, from the top of three cards. 

The queen, from the top of three cards. 

A small one, from the knave or lower card, and three or 
more smaller ones. 

A small one, from ace and two little ones. 

The ace, from ace and three or more small ones. 

Failing any of the above holdings, lead the 
highest of a low doubleton, rather than touch a 
tenace suit. 



122 AUCTION BRIDGE 

Occasionally, when you hold a very long suit of 
five or more cards, headed by the ace, queen, knave ; 
ace, queen ; or ace, knave ; it may be advisable 
to lead out the ace, for fear that it may be ruffed 
later on. Also, with ace, queen, knave, etc. ; and 
a re-entry card in another suit, the ace, followed 
by the queen, is a permissible lead. 

If you hold the king, knave, ten, nine, with or 
without others, or the king, knave, ten, etc., and 
are obliged to open the suit, lead the ten. If you 
can open another suit, it is better to leave these 
tenace suits alone. 

Since the highest of a short suit is a common lead 
against a declared trump, it is of advantage, when 
you begin with a long suit against a trump call, to 
open with the fourth-best ; because, by so doing, 
your partner is often enabled, by the application of 
the old eleven whist rule, to deduce whether the 
lead is from length or shortness. 

Return of Leads, etc. 

When you lead a small card originally, and your 
partner wins the trick, it is in no wise incumbent on 
him to return your lead. Of course, if he suspects 
a singleton, he will do so ; otherwise he will gener- 
ally do better to play out any winning cards he has, 
and then lead up to the weakest suit in the exposed 
hand ; unless he can infer that you hold the winning 
card in the suit you led originally. The play, after 
dummy is exposed, is influenced almost entirely by 
the cards in it, and varies accordingly with every 
deal. 



GENERAL PRINCIPLES WHEN TRUMPS 123 

When you lead the king, from ace, king, knave 
only of a suit, and find three small ones only in the 
exposed hand, you may change the suit, if you 
have some other you can open without detriment, 
provided it is not essential to collect all the tricks 
you can at once. Your partner is thus informed 
that you are left with the ace knave only, and will 
lead the suit through the dealer as soon as he gets in. 

When you hold the ace, king, knave, with others, 
or if the number of cards in the suit held by the 
exposed hand total eight or more, together with those 
in your own hand, it is generally safer to continue 
with the ace, and not change the suit in order to 
wait for the suit to be led to you, for fear that it 
may be ruffed. 

In cases when you return your partner's lead, you 
should, as a general rule, return the highest of 
two, or the lowest of three or more ; unless you hold 
the winning card of the suit, when it should always 
be played. You should also return the highest of 
a sequence, irrespective of number. For instance, 
holding queen, knave, ten, etc., if you win the first 
trick with the ten, return the queen, and so on. 

The preceding maxim is, of course, subject to 
modification according to the cards in the exposed 
hand, or to considerations of ruffing. 



Leading up to or through Dummy, etc. 

It has been said that, after the game has com- 
menced, you should lead up to the weakest suit in 
the exposed hand, if you have nothing better to do ; 



124 AUCTION BRIDGE 

and, as a rule, this is a perfectly sound maxim. 
The only exception is, that it is inadvisable to lead 
a supporting card (higher than the highest in dummy) 
up to a long suit on the table, because you may, by 
so doing, be assisting the declarer to establish the 
suit. The same principle operates here as governs 
the original lead of supporting cards. The declarer 
will sacrifice his own high cards to force out higher 
ones from your partner, and so leave Dummy with 
the best. 

The broad general principle of leading through 
Dummy's strongest suit must also be applied intel- 
ligently. It is no use to lead through a quint, 
quart, or tierce major suit, unless you want Dummy 
to get the lead ; nor is it of much avail to play 
through an exposed ace, queen, if you hold the king 
yourself ; unless, knowing that the declarer is very 
anxious to put the lead in the exposed hand, you 
hope that he will play the ace at once. 

In leading through Dummy, after the game has 
started, you must always keep before you the 
principle of the strengthening card. Exactly the 
same principles apply to the play by the declarer 
of the exposed hand's cards as guide you in your 
opening when you lead a supporting card. 

As explained above, in dealing with leads up to 
Dummy, the declarer will, if he is long in the suit 
led through the exposed hand, utilise the high cards 
in it, in order to clear it from his own hand. There- 
fore, the number of cards in the suit held by the 
leader, and the number that appear on the table, 
will supply the factor for determining the card to 
be led. 



GENERAL PRINCIPLES WHEN TRUMPS 125 

If you hold fewer cards of the suit you contem- 
plate leading than Dummy holds, you should lead 
your highest ; if you hold more, you should lead 
a small one ; if you both hold the same number, 
the card to be led depends upon the values of the 
cards severally held. In the latter positions, if 
Dummy holds one card higher than your highest, 
you should lead your top card, unless it is the king. 
If the queen and two small ones appear in the 
exposed hand, and you hold the knave and two 
small ones, lead the knave. Should your partner 
hold the king, ten, nine, etc., the knave will be a 
very good card for him. 

When you hold queen and another, and Dummy 
holds king and another, you should generally lead 
the queen, and always, if you require only two 
tricks to save the game. In such positions, you 
assume your partner to hold the ace, knave, etc., 
and, since he may not venture to finesse the knave 
if you lead a small one, and Dummy does not put 
up the king, you simplify the game for him by 
leading the queen. 

If Dummy holds ace and another, or king and 
another, and you know the declarer wants to jump 
in with the lead, you do not lead a high card, as it 
would be a waste of a possible trick, since he will 
play the ace or king in any case. 

If you have a suit of three, four, or even five or 
more cards, headed by two moderate cards in 
sequence, such as queen knave, knave ten, or ten 
nine, and Dummy holds the card immediately above 
your highest, you lead your best. With three cards in 
your hand, and three in Dummy — yours alternating 



126 AUCTION BRIDGE 

with dummy's, or with your second card immedi- 
ately below dummy's highest — lead your second- 
best. As, for instance, when you hold king, ten, 
and another, and dummy holds ace, knave, and 
another, or knave and two small ones, the proper 
lead is the ten. If your partner holds the queen, 
nine, and others, or the queen and others, the ten 
will prove a very advantageous card. If you hold 
four, and dummy three, lead your smallest. 

When you hold the ace, and the king and another, 
or others, are in the exposed hand, lead a small one. 
If you partner holds the queen, you may make an 
extra trick. 

If you hold the queen and another, or knave and 
another, and especially if you hold queen, knave, 
lead the highest when four or five to the ten appear 
in the exposed hand ; but if you hold four, headed 
by queen, knave, ten, lead your smallest. 

Whatever you do, unless one adversary has no 
trumps left, and you wish to force the strong hand, 
avoid leading a suit in which both your adversaries 
are void, and in which your partner holds one or 
more. It is the worst of all possible leads, since it 
enables the strong adverse hand to discard, and the 
weak one to trump. 

The Finesse 

In no circumstances should you finesse against 
your partner ; and any finesse is bad, when by not 
finessing you can save the game, or break the 
contract, or win the odd trick. 

When it is clear that a player leads to finesse, 



GENERAL PRINCIPLES WHEN TRUMPS 127 

and you hold the card he intends finessing against, 
and see that it must eventually be sacrificed, put 
it on at once. For instance, the declarer leads the 
queen of spades : you hold the king, seven, six ; 
and the ace, knave, nine, three are in the exposed 
hand. If you pass the queen led, your king must 
fall later on. If you put it on at once, your partner 
may remain with the command with the ten, after 
the second round. If the ten is with the dealer, it is 
a matter of complete indifference what you do. 
The play varies slightly when there is no trump, 
since the suit cannot be ruffed. This will be ex- 
plained later. 

Provided that his contract is safe, the declarer 
should finesse deeply whenever he sees a chance 
of the game being won should the finesse succeed. 
On the other hand, when, as sometimes happens, 
he finds on the exposure of Dummy's cards that 
his contract is in danger, he should run no risks, 
and should direct all his efforts to making all the 
tricks he can, in order to fulfil his undertaking. 



The Ruff Signal 

There exists a universally recognised convention 
at Bridge, which has since been imported into 
Auction Bridge, whereby, whenever a trump suit 
has been declared, a player is enabled to signify 
his ability to ruff. It is as follows : When to the 
first round of a suit led by your partner you play 
a higher card than you do on the second, it is an 
intimation that you hold no more of it, and indicates 



128 AUCTION BKIDGE 

that you can trump the third round. This signal 
is of considerable value negatively, as well as 
positively. 

Supposing your partner leads the king, ace of 
diamonds (hearts being trumps), and you play to 
the king the knave, and to the ace the eight, and 
there are three to the queen in the exposed hand, 
your partner at once leads a third round which 
you ruff. But for the signal, he would not have 
played a third round. 

Again, supposing you lead the king, ace of a suit 
of which you hold five, and there are three small 
ones in the exposed hand, and your partner does 
not signal. It is useless to lead a third round, 
because it will be ruffed by the declarer. When 
there are No Trumps, if you play a higher and then 
a lower card to your partner's leads, you are noti- 
fying that you hold four or five, as will be explained 
further on ; but there is no object in thus echoing 
when there are trumps, and this method of play 
is therefore utilised as above. 

As Auction Bridge becomes more generally played, 
room will no doubt be found for including a signal 
to intimate a wish for a trump lead, but the time 
is seemingly not yet. 



The Discard in a Trump Declaration 

Although the discard when a trump suit has 
been declared is of some importance, it is less 
vital than when there are no trumps. 

If you have been unable to indicate your best 



GENERAL PRINCIPLES WHEN TRUMPS 129 

suit to your partner by calling it, and if the other 
suits have not been located by the bidding, your 
first discard, against a trump declaration, should 
be from the suit you want led. No inferences 
should be drawn from any subsequent discards. 
The first alone counts, and intimates what suit 
you wish led to you. If all the suits have been 
declared, you will still generally do better to be 
consistent, and discard as above. 

Of course, in very many cases the holders of the 
various suits have been marked by the preliminary 
bidding, and when you have made a declaration 
your partner knows what your strong suit is ; but 
even then it does not follow that you hold the 
winning cards in it, whereas you may hold the 
winner in an adverse suit. Also, you may want a 
particular suit led through Dummy, or up to him ; 
and it is useful therefore to be able to communicate 
by your first discard some information that is 
valuable as an indication of the suit you want. 

Many players prefer always to discard from their 
weakest suit. Unless a suit is absolutely valueless, 
it certainly seems more rational not further to 
weaken an already weak suit by discarding from 
it. It also seems desirable to any reasonable person, 
other conditions being equal, to utilise your discard 
for conveying to your partner information that is 
of value. It is of no benefit whatever to him to 
be told that your discard indicates a worthless suit. 

It must always be remembered that, owing to 
the fact that forced discards frequently have to 
be made, too rigid inferences must never be drawn 
from the cards thrown. When a player is compelled 



130 AUCTION BRIDGE 

to depart from rule, his partner must appraise the 
situation as best he can. An intelligent partner 
will generally be able, in such positions, to draw 
a tolerably correct inference from the discard made. 



Drawing Trumps 

When you are the declarer, unless you are anxious 
to utilise trumps in one of the hands for ruffing, 
it is as a rule the soundest policy to extract them 
as soon as you get in, in order to prevent your 
adversaries from making their trumps separately 
and getting ruffs. Here is an example of how not 
to play : — 

Dealer. West. 



Hearts — Ace, knave, 10, 9, 

7, 5, 2. 
Diamonds — 6, 4. 
Clubs — Ace, king, 8, 6. 
Spades — none. 



Hearts — Queen. 
Diamonds — Ace, 3. 
Clubs— Knave, 10, 9, 7, 5, 

4,2. 
Spades — Knave, 7, 5. 



North. East. 



Hearts— 6, 4, 3. 
Diamonds — Queen, 9, 8, 7, 5. 
Clubs — Queen, 3. 
Spades — King, queen, 4. 



Hearts — King, 8. 
Diamonds — King, knave, 10, 

2. 
Clubs — none. 
Spades— Ace, 10, 9, 8, 6, 3, 

2. 



The dealer declared one heart — West two clubs 
— pass — one No Trump. Two hearts — two No 
Trumps — pass — pass. Three hearts — pass — pass — 
pass. 

The elder hand led the knave of spades. The 
declarer ruffed the ace and led a small club — in 
order, as he afterwards explained, to put Dummy 



GENERAL PRINCIPLES WHEN TRUMPS 131 

in, so that he might discard a losing diamond and 
so make five by tricks. The result was that the 
adversaries won five tricks, and broke the contract. 
If the declarer, as of course he ought to have done : 
had led the ace of trumps at trick 2, he must make 
four by cards and win the game. 

Such situations are by no means uncommon, and 
you should always be on the look-out for the un- 
expected. 



CHAPTER XI 

GENERAL PRINCIPLES OP THE GAME WHEN 
THERE ARE NO TRUMPS 

When Auction Bridge is played without trumps 
it becomes quite a different game from that with 
a trump suit declared, and the tactics employed 
are altogether different. When there is no trump, 
the game resolves itself into a struggle between 
the opposing players, on the one hand to estab- 
lish and bring in their own long suit or suits, and 
on the other to prevent a like accomplishment on 
the part of their opponents. What is aimed at, 
therefore, is to bring in your own long suit, and to 
prevent your adversaries from establishing theirs. 

The Original Leap 

At Auction Bridge the opening lead has to be 
made up to the declarer, and when there has been 
preliminary bidding, you know that your own or 
your partner's overcalled suits are guarded. 

Often it will happen that the dealer will declare 
No Trumps right away, and in such cases, if your 
partner has not been able to give any indication 
as to his hand, your original lead should be from 

132 * 



PRINCIPLES WHEN NO TRUMPS 133 

your longest suit. This is a point upon which all 
players are agreed, and concerning which no di- 
versity of opinion exists. 

Every deal played without trumps will see four 
or five tricks made by small cards. To make 
this possible, adverse high cards must be got 
out of the way. The process is called the 
establishment of a suit. The object of opening 
with your longest suit is primarily in order to 
establish and bring it in, and secondly to utilise 
its length as a check against your adversaries es- 
tablishing it, should they be found to hold the high 
cards in it. If, however, it should consist of five 
very small cards, without an honour, and you hold 
at the same time a second suit of four, containing 
one or two honours, and composed of higher cards, 
you may start with the latter. 

When a legitimate No Trump declaration has 
been made, your only chance, ordinarily, of saving 
the game — to say nothing of breaking the contract 
— will be by establishing a long suit. 

The system of leading which now follows shows 
how a long suit should be led, and why ; and the 
table of leads at the end of the chapter indicates 
the card to be led according to the universally 
accepted view. 

Card to Lead Originally 

Since your object in trying to establish a long 
suit is to endeavour to obtain for the small cards 
in it a value that does not rightly belong to them, 
you should, in selecting which card of your suit to 



134 AUCTION BRIDGE 

lead, avoid parting with commanding cards in it 
as long as it is necessary to retain them. When 
you have a card of re-entry, you may lead differently 
to when the whole strength in your hand is confined 
from one suit. Leads from suits in hands containing 
no card of re-entry will first be dealt with. 

With any suit headed by a tierce major, or 
better, you should lead out the king, queen, ace. 
With a suit of less than seven, headed by the ace, 
king, if you lead out the king, ace, you cannot 
hope to make any more tricks in it. If you have 
six, it is within the bounds of possibility that each 
adversary will only have two, and your partner 
three, and that he can get out of your way, but it 
is very improbable. With five, unless your partner 
has four and unblocks, and each adversary two 
only, you cannot make five tricks in the suit. 
With four, unless your partner has the queen and 
others, you cannot make more than two tricks, 
if you lead out king, ace. 

As it is foolish to assume the most unlikely 
distributions, and since it is of no use to you to 
make only two tricks in your one strong suit, it 
is clearly profitless to lead out the highest cards 
of it. Therefore from suits of ace, king, and less 
than five small ones, always lead the fourth-best. 
It is only 2 to 1 against the queen being with your 
partner. It is 5 to 4 on his holding either queen 
or knave, and, if he holds the knave, it is just as 
likely that the queen will be on your left as on 
your right, in which case his knave will win the 
first trick, thus placing you in a most advantageous 
position. If the declarer wins the trick, he wil} 



PRINCIPLES WHEN NO TRUMPS 135 

have to open a suit up to your partner, who may 
be able to get in at once, and return you your suit 
immediately, when you will probably make all the 
rest of it. With seven or more, headed by ace, 
king, the case is different. If one of your adver- 
saries has three with the queen, your partner, unless 
the other is void, will be likely to hold only one 
of the suit ; and even if that one is the queen, 
it is no good your opening with a little one, as he 
will not have a card of your suit to return to you. 
Therefore, with seven or more, headed by ace, king, 
always lead king, ace. 

With the ace, king, knave, and one or more, unless 
you hold seven, lead the fourth-best. If your 
partner holds the queen, the fourth-best is obviously 
the best lead ; if he does not, he may play the ten, 
or some other card that may force out the queen 
or win the trick, and establish your suit. Unless 
there are four with the queen in one adverse hand, 
one round of the suit will establish it, as the queen 
must fall to your ace, king, as soon as you get in. 

With the ace, king, knave, with or without one 
or two more, lead the knave. If the queen is on 
your left it may not be put on, and if it is only 
doubly guarded, you will catch it with the king 
ace, and make all your suit. Should the queen 
and three others lie on your left, and it is put on 
your knave led, continue with the ten. The declarer 
cannot tell whether the ace or king, or possibly 
both, may not be in your partner's hand, and may 
retain the queen, even on the second round, in 
the hope of blocking the suit on the third or fourth 
round. If the queen is put on, your suit is estab- 



136 AUCTION BRIDGE 

lished. If your partner has not got the queen in 
either of above cases, the odds against its falling, 
if you lead the king, ace from five, are about 6 to 1 ; 
and from six, over 3 to 1. 

With either of the above combinations, holding 
seven or more, lead king, ace. 

With ace, queen, knave, tett, with or without one 
or two others, or with ace, c/ieen, knave, with less 
than four small ones, lead the queen. If the king 
is doubly guarded on your left, it will not be put 
on on the first round. Continue with the knave. 
If the queen wins, and the king is not in the exposed 
hand, lead the ace next. Your partner, if he has 
it, must play the king on your ace. 

With seven or more headed by ace, queen, knave, 
ten ; ace, queen, knave ; or ace, queen, ten, lead 
the ace. If your partner has the king, he must 
play it on the ace. If the king is guarded against 
you, it is as likely as not that your partner will not 
have more than one. It is about 6 to 1 against the 
king falling on the ace led, if you have seven. 

With the ace, knave, ten and others, lead the 
knave. If your partner has the king, and the 
queen is on your left, she is doomed, unless there 
are more guards behind the queen than behind 
your partner's king. If your partner has the king, 
and the queen is not in the exposed hand, he must 
play the king on your knave, and return the suit 
to your major tenace, so that you can capture the 
queen on your right, if she is only doubly guarded. 

With ace, queen, and little ones, or ace knave, 
and little ones, lead the fourth-best ; though with 
ace, queen, and six small ones, lead the ace on the 



PRINCIPLES WHEN NO TRUMPS 137 

off chance of catching the king. With the ace, 
queen, ten, and less than four others, some players 
lead the ten. This lead possesses no intrinsic merits 
to recommend it, nor does the information it gives 
adequately compensate for this defect. The fourth- 
best should be led. 

It is 5 to 4 on the leader's partner holding either 
the king or the knave. If he holds the knave the 
lead of the ten can do no good in any circum- 
stances. If he holds the king and others, and the 
knave is not in the exposed hand, he must play the 
king on the ten led, or the dealer will win with the 
knave. Should the declarer hold the knave and 
three others, he will in this case block the suit, unless 
twice led through ; whereas, if a small one is led 
originally, the suit is established at once, even 
though the knave be trebly guarded in the declarer's 
hand. 

In order to give the lead of the ten any advantage 
over the lead of the fourth-best, the distribution 
of the suit would have to be very remarkable ; and, 
considering the disadvantages of the ten lead as 
indicated above, the Author is of opinion that it is 
not a good opening. 

The preceding leads are jeu de regie when the 
leader holds no card of re-entry. Holding a card 
of re-entry, they undergo certain modifications 
as follows : — 

With the ace, king, knave, ten, and one or two 
more, or ace, king, knave, with one, two, or three 
more, the king should be led if you have a card of 
re-entry ; continuing with the ace on the second 
round. If the queen is against you, you will be 



138 AUCTION BRIDGE 

pretty sure to drop her on the third round ; and, 
on getting in again later on with your card of re- 
entry, will be able to make your small ones. 

In the same way, holding a card of re-entry, you 
should lead the ace from ace, queen, and five small 
ones, on the chance of the king falling. Unless the 
cards are exceptionally badly divided, your suit will 
be cleared on the second round, and your card of re- 
entry will enable you to make your five small ones. 

With a card of re-entry, the ace should be led 
from ace, queen, knave, ten, with or without one 
or two others ; and from ace, queen, knave, and 
less than four others, followed by the queen and 
knave. Also from the ace, queen, ten, and three 
others, followed by the queen or ten, according to 
what you see in the exposed hand, and the fall of 
the cards on the first trick. 

The succeeding leads are the same whether a card 
of re-entry is held or not. 

With king, queen, knave, ten, and others, or king, 
queen, knave, and others, always start with the 
king. If you have only four, and the king wins, 
continue with the queen. If all follow to the queen, 
and your partner has not echoed, next lead the 
lowest. If he has echoed, lead the knave after the 
queen, and then the lowest. If you hold five, and 
the king wins the first trick, continue with the 
knave. Should your partner have five also, he will 
echo as a matter of form ; though, unless there are 
none of the suit in the exposed hand, you will know 
he has five after the second round, whether he 
echoes or not. 

A few players suggest the lead of the knave from 



PRINCIPLES WHEN NO TRUMPS 139 

king, queen, knave, to five or more, as they say it 
helps your partner to unblock. They do not ex- 
plain how, and it is difficult to see in what way it 
accomplishes this ; so the king is, generally in 
England, and unanimously in America, conceded 
to be the better card. 

With the king, queen, ten, and two or more 
others, lead the king ; and follow with the queen 
or ten if the king wins, according to what you learn 
from the exposed hand and the cards played to the 
first trick. With less than five it is better to lead 
the lowest ; because, if you have only four, and 
both ace and knave are against you, they are both 
likely to be guarded, and you gam nothing by 
leading the king. If your partner has either of 
them, its utility as a clearing card is decreased by 
your leading the king, since he may have to play it 
on the second round to avoid blocking you. If, 
however, you have no other high cards in your hand, 
you may lead the king from king, queen, ten, and 
only one other. 

With the king, queen, and little ones, lead the 
fourth-best, unless you have seven or more. In 
that case lead the king, as the knave will probably 
fall to the queen when you get in again. 

With the queen, knave, ten, etc., or the queen, 
knave, nine, with five or six in suit, lead the queen. 
You hope to find the ace with your partner and the 
king in the exposed hand. If you are fortunate 
enough to do so, and the king is not at least doubly 
guarded, your suit will be established unless the 
cards are very badly distributed. 

Some authorities recommend the queen from 



140 AUCTION BRIDGE 

queen, knave, nine, with only four ; but at whist 
it was proved that, with less than six, the fourth 
best is the better lead. 

The best card to lead from king, knave, ten and 
others is a generally disputed point. Personally 
I have always preferred the knave, and latterly 
Bridge players mostly selected that card ; but now 
the tide again seems turning in favour of the ten. 
I think the knave is a better card, for the same 
reason that I prefer it from ace, queen, knave, ten, 
ace, queen, ten, etc., queen, knave, ten, etc., and 
queen, knave, nine, to six or more ; because it 
multiplies the number of combinations from which 
this card may be led, and so complicates matters 
for the declarer, whilst it does not in any way confuse 
your partner. Those who prefer the ten do so be- 
cause of the precise information it imparts — namely, 
that the knave indicates the possession of the ace ; 
and the ten denies it. The point that seems to me 
doubtful is whether this exact information is not 
more to the advantage of the declarer than the 
defenders. However let us concede that the ten 
should be led. From the king, knave, ten, nine, 
with or without others, lead the nine. In The Field, 
in 1893, it was proved that the nine is a better lead 
than the ten. From the knave, ten, nine, etc., 
lead the knave. From the ten, nine, eight, and 
others, lead the ten. 

The Fourth-Best Lead 

The idea of conveying information by abandoning 
the lead of the lowest card was tentativelv intro- 



PRINCIPLES WHEN M) TRUMPS 141 

duced into whist a good many years ago, by the 
"penultimate" of "Cavendish," and the "ante- 
penultimate " of General Dray son ; but it was not 
until Mr. N. B. Trist, of New Orleans, propounded 
his "fourth-best" as the "card of uniformity," 
that this lead became a regularly recognised principle 
of the game. 

Very soon after the final incorporation into whist 
conventions of the fourth-best lead, the Eleven 
Rule was discovered and published. This formula 
has maintained its supremacy ever since, as the 
readiest method a player has, of seeing at a glance 
how many cards higher than the one led are against 
the leader. Its operation is perfectly simple : 
deduct the number of pips on the card led from 
eleven, and the difference will show how many 
cards there are, higher than the one led, that are 
not in the leader's hand. 

Owing to one hand being exposed at Auction 
Bridge, this method of leading conveys a much 
greater amount of precise information to the leader's 
partner, and to the declarer, than was the case at 
whist. The following examples will show what is 
meant : — 

The elder hand starts with a seven. Dummy 
lays down the queen, ten, five ; and the younger 
hand holds the ace, eight, six. Deduct 7 from 11, 
and the difference is 4 ; therefore there are four 
cards out against the elder. Two are in the exposed 
hand, and two with the younger hand, therefore 
the declarer cannot beat the seven, and the leader 
holds the king, knave, nine. 

Again : a five is led ; Dummy lays down ace, 



142 AUCTION BRIDGE 

nine, eight, three, and the younger hand holds 
the queen, ten, two ; therefore there is only one 
card higher than the five with the declarer and it 
may be single ; and so on. Whether the informa- 
tion given to the younger hand, by the lead of the 
fourth-best, counterbalances the opportunities it 
often affords the declarer of immediately locating 
the whole suit, is very much open to doubt. 

Nevertheless, the fourth-best lead is recommended 
here because it has been adopted by all American 
players, and by a majority in London. 

Therefore, in all other cases than from the com- 
binations enumerated, the fourth-best card of the 
suit must be led originally. 



CHAPTER XII 



NO TRUMPS : SYNOPSIS OF ORIGINAL LEADS 



From ace, queen, knave, ten, and three or more 
small ones 

From ace, queen, knave, and four or more small ones 

From ace, queen, ten, and four or more small ones . 

From ace, queen, and six or more small ones 

From ace, king, and nve or more 

From king, queen, and five or more small ones . 

From king, queen, knave, ten, with or without others 

From king, queen, f Continue with the queen if you 
knave, and one -| have only four ; with the knave 
or more others { if you have more than four . 

From king, queen, ten, and two or more others . 

From ace, king, queen, knave, with or without others 

From ace, king, queen, and others . 

From queen, knave, ten, and others .... 

From queen, knave, nine, and five or more in suit . 

From ace, queen, knave, ten, with or without one or 
two more 

From ace, queen, knave, with less than four others 

From ace, king, knave, ten, with or without one or 



two more .... 
From ace, knave, ten, and others 
From knave, ten, nine, and others 
From king, knave, ten, and others 
From ten, nine, eight, and others 



Lead 

the 

Ace. 



Lead 

the 

King. 



Lead 

the 

Queen. 

Lead 

the 

Knave. 

Lead 

the 

Ten. 



Modifications With a Card of Re-entry 



From ace, queen, knave, ten, with or without one or^ 

two more I Lead 

From ace, queen, knave, and less than four others . J- the 
From ace, queen, ten, and three others . . . | Ace. 
From ace, queen, and five small ones . 

143 



144 AUCTION BRIDGE 

From ace, king, knave, ten, with or without one or ) t j 
two more .1 t ? & 

From ace, king, knave, and less than four small f j^. 9 „ 
ones J JUn ©* 

In all other cases lead the fourth best. 



Modifications in the Original Lead Due to 
Bidding 

So far, in dealing with the opening leads, most of 
what has been written regarding them relates to 
the leads when no modifications have been intro- 
duced by the bidding. The correct cards to start 
with from the various combinations remain the 
same under all conditions ; but the position, in 
respect of the suit to lead originally, is often much 
complicated by the preliminary declarations. 

A reference to the chapters on the declarations 
by the several players will best indicate what I 
mean. 

When you are playing against a trump declara- 
tion, your partner's bid, whenever he has made one, 
will assist you in your opening lead. Unless you 
hold some certain winning cards, such as an ace 
king suit ; or a very strong king queen knave 
suit, you will ordinarily lead the suit which your 
partner has named ; but it is not so much when a 
trump suit has been declared that the selection of 
the suit to start with is rendered difficult by the 
preliminary bidding, as when there are no trumps. 
It is then that the declarations have the greatest 
influence upon your original lead. An explanation 
will now follow. 

When you are elder hand, and the dealer declares 



SYNOPSIS OF ORIGINAL LEADS 145 

one No Trump originally, and all pass, you are 
conscious of the following facts : — Your partner 
has not an overwhelming spade or club suit, or he 
would have doubled with the first, or declared three 
clubs with the second ; nor has he great strength in 
either red suit, or he would have bid two tricks in 
it. Therefore he has probably an average hand, and 
you will lead accordingly, as already explained. 
If, on the other hand, your partner doubles, or bids 
three clubs, you of course lead a spade or a club, 
as the case may be. 

Supposing the dealer has declared one diamond, 
or one heart, and East bids one heart or two clubs, 
which the dealer overcalls with one No Trump 
which all pass ; or supposing the dealer declares one 
No Trump, and East bids two diamonds or hearts, 
which the dealer overcalls with two No Trumps : 
you should start with the heart, club, or red suit 
indicated, whichever it may be. 

Supposing the dealer has declared one spade, 
and West overcalls with two spades, or one or two 
clubs. If North bids one No Trump, and becomes 
the declarer, you are in no doubt as to what to lead. 
Similarly, if West overcalls one spade with one 
heart or diamond, and you become elder hand in 
North's one No Trump, you will open with your 
partner's suit ; unless you have a very strong suit 
of your own, which in the circumstances is not 
very likely. You know that your partner's red 
call is nothing out of the way, or he would otherwise 
have raised it to two tricks : still, it is a voluntary 
bid, and is therefore probably the best suit you can 
open. 

10 



U6 AUCTION BRIDGE 

In the following cases if North declares one or 
two No Trumps, and you become the elder hand, 
you will start with the suit called by your partner ; 
saving in those very exceptional circumstances 
when you happen to hold one yourself which is 
almost certainly stronger : — 

Whenever the dealer's auxiliary No Trump intimation is over- 
called by West with a red suit. 
When the dealer bids — 

One club, and West overcalls with two spades. 

,, „ doubles. 

Two spades, and West doubles. 
One diamond, and West overcalls with two clubs. 

„ „ „ „ one heart. 

One heart and West overcalls with two diamonds. 
Two clubs „ „ „ two hearts, or diamonds. 

Raising bids do not necessarily imply commanding 
strength, still if they are legitimately made you 
are unlikely to do better by ignoring them and 
leading some other suit. The fact of North declar- 
ing No Trumps proclaims that he is guarded in the 
suit by West ; or, in such cases as when West bids 
two spades, or two clubs, that he reckons upon 
making all the other tricks ; otherwise he is merely 
bidding for the purpose of preventing his adversaries 
from going out. In spite of this knowledge, it is, 
in nine cases out of ten, better to open the suit in 
which your partner has intimated that he is strong. 
Granted that the declaring side has the suit pro- 
tected, it is obvious that until such obstruction has 
been removed your partner's suit is useless. The 
sooner therefore that you set about getting it out of 
the way, the sooner you are likely to accomplish 
your purpose of establishing the suit. Whenever 
either or both of you hold re-entry cards, the task 



SYNOPSIS OF ORIGINAL LEADS 147 

is simplified, whereas if you open some other suit, 
you deprive yourself of the advantage of the lead, 
and the entry card is sacrificed in order to regain it. 
Therefore you may regard it as practically an in- 
variable rule that you should start with your 
partner's suit ; a rule which should only be 
departed from when you hold a very powerful 
suit of your own. In some cases failure to give 
him his suit results most calamitously. 

Here is an instance. The dealer declared one 
heart, West bid one No Trump, North and East 
passed. South raised to two hearts, West and 
North passed, and East overcalled with two No 
Trumps ; which all passed. West became declarer, 
and North elder hand. South held seven hearts 
to ace, king, knave, but, having nothing else, did 
not care to bid three hearts, especially since East 
must have some strength in the suit, and there 
were strong No Trump hands against him. The 
elder hand's lead was obvious and palpable. 
Clearly the declarer (who passed two hearts) had 
no protection in hearts, so that the elder would be 
leading through whatever strength there might 
be against his partner. Nevertheless, instead of 
starting with a heart, the elder opened with a 
diamond from five to king, knave ; and the declarer 
won a small slam and rubber. Dummy held queen, 
ten, three of hearts, so that if the elder had led 
correctly, and started with his partner's suit, the 
declarer would have lost 100 above, less 30 for aces 
— a difference of 442 points. The younger hand did 
not dare to double ; because, if, as seemed likely, 
Dummy held the heart suit (say queen, ten, and two 



148 AUCTION BRIDGE 

others) they might have lost very heavily indeed. 
In positions such as the foregoing the lead of your 
partner's suit should be invariable. 

Whenever the dealer has bid one spade, which 
West has passed, and North declares one No Trump, 
you know West has nothing particular, and you will 
lead in the ordinary manner. 

If you deal and declare one spade, and North, 
West having passed, bids a heart or a diamond, 
or one or two clubs, or two spades, and East declares 
one No Trump, you should lead your partner's suit : 
also in all cases when he has made a bid, and you 
become elder hand to East's No Trump declaration, 
you will do best to open originally with the suit 
he has named. It is not absolutely incumbent upon 
you, but experience has amply demonstrated that 
it is the most successful lead, unless you have a 
very strong suit of winning cards yourself. 

The Play of the Elder Hand 

It must be borne in mind that when the declarer 
is leading, any inference drawn from the cards 
played by him cannot be implicitly relied upon, 
since he will select them with intent to deceive. 

Whenever the declarer leads through the elder 
hand to Dummy, with the intention of finessing, 
the player led through is in the dark as to the com- 
bination led from. All he can do is to infer the 
situation from the card led, and from the cards in 
the exposed hand. If Dummy is long in the suit, 
the declarer may be presumed to be without any 
great strength, or any sequence in it. If Dummy is 



SYNOPSIS OF ORIGINAL LEADS 149 

short, the suit may be assumed to be the declarer's, 
and his high card led to be one of a sequence. 

When you are elder hand, do not part with the 
command of your adversaries' suit as long as you 
can keep it ; and do not cover a card, obviously led 
as a clearing card, unless it is plain that your covering 
card must be sacrificed later on. In the latter case, 
cover. For instance, the declarer on getting in 
leads a knave. In the exposed hand are ace, queen, 
ten, and two others. You, elder hand, hold the 
king and two others. It is useless to cover the 
knave. If the declarer has another to lead, your 
partner could only have held three originally. If 
he has not another, Dummy must take the trick. 
With the king and one other, cover ; as there is 
just a possibility that the nine trebly guarded may 
be in your partner's hand. If there are ace, queen, 
and three others in the exposed hand, and you hold 
king, ten, and a little one, cover a knave led, as it 
makes your ten good, unless the declarer finesses 
through you a second time. Similarly, if you hold 
king and two small ones, cover a knave led, as 
your partner may have the ten and two little ones. 
If the ten also is with the declarer the king is useless 
anyhow. With the king and one small one, always 
cover a knave led to ace, queen, etc., in the exposed 
hand. Always cover in any position when you hold 
a fourchette, even with small cards — that is to say, 
when you hold the cards immediately above and 
below the card led. 

When Dummy is strong, and particularly when 
the card led by the declarer is in sequence with 
those in the exposed hand, you, as second player, 



150 AUCTION BRIDGE 

should generally cover. When, however, he is very 
strong, your only chance is not to cover a high 
card led. This may appear paradoxical and must 
be explained by an example : — South, the declarer, 
leads a queen through you, who hold king, six, five 
to North (Dummy) holding ace, knave, ten, nine. 
If you cover South's queen, North will be left with 
the next three tricks. Your only hope is that the 
declarer may not have another card to lead. If, 
on the contrary, Dummy holds the ace, knave, ten, 
and a small one, you should cover, in the hope of 
making the nine good with your partner on the 
fourth round. If Dummy holds more than four, 
headed by ace, knave, ten, you should pass. In 
that case, as explained above, if the declarer has 
another to lead, your partner cannot hold four to 
the nine. If he has not another, your king must 
block the suit. 

Sometimes you must be guided by your know- 
ledge of the declarer's play. If a knave is led to the 
ace, ten, nine, etc., in the exposed hand, and you 
hold the king or queen with two others, you should 
cover, if you feel sure that the declarer will finesse, 
and that you will be led through again later. If 
you pass, your partner will win the first trick, and 
the suit will be established as soon as the declarer 
leads through you again. If you cover, your 
partner will block the suit on the second or third 
round. If you have reason to believe the declarer 
will not finesse (though it is hardly conceivable), 
you of course will not cover. 

When dummy holds only one card in sequence 
with the one led, you should often cover second in 



SYNOPSIS OF ORIGINAL LEADS 151 

hand, even with four. Supposing the declarer leads 
the queen to dummy, holding ace, knave, eight, 
five, three, through you, who have the king, nine, 
seven, two ; you should cover. You can stop the 
suit later with your nine, and it is just possible that 
the declarer's queen may be single, which would 
make your partner's ten good on the third round. 

Supposing the declarer leads a high card to a 
ragged suit in Dummy, which cannot be of any 
advantage unless he holds others in sequence with 
it, you should not cover. You should not, as elder 
hand, and holding the queen, nine, six, cover a 
knave led to the ace and four small ones in Dummy, 
as the declarer is almost certain to hold the ten 
also, and very possibly the king as well. Presuming 
the declarer has led the kna^e from king, knave, 
ten ; if you cover, he secures three tricks right off. 
If you pass, the declarer will probably win with the 
ace, with the intention of finessing on the second 
round when your queen will make. If the declarer 
has led from the knave, ten, etc., and does not pass 
up the knave (which is unlikely), and if your partner 
holds the king and another, your passing will enable 
you and him to win two tricks in the suit. When 
the declarer leads a queen to the ace, nine, seven, 
three, or similar cards, and you hold king, eight, 
and another, you should pass. You cannot benefit 
by covering, as the declarer must be leading from 
some strength. 

If a knave is led by the declarer, through queen, 
eight, and another, to less than five in Dummy, 
headed by king, seven, it should be passed. If five 
or more are in the exposed hand, you should cover. 



152 AUCTION BRIDGE 

If the declarer leads a knave, through your queen 
and three others, to ace, king, with two or more in 
Dummy, you should cover, if your second card is 
higher than any of the small ones in the exposed 
hand. If the ace, ten, seven, and less than three 
small ones are in the exposed hand, and the declarer 
leads a knave through your king, eight, and another, 
your best course is to cover. If dummy holds six 
or the nine also, you should pass the knave, in the 
hope that the declarer will put on the ace, or that 
he holds no more. 

If the declarer leads a ten, to the ace, queen, seven, 
and another, through your king, eight, and small 
one, you should pass, in the hope that your partner 
may win with the knave. You must remember 
that the declarer will lead the ten, even if he holds 
the knave, in pursuance of his policy of always 
endeavouring to mislead. If he has the knave, it 
makes no difference what you do. The declarer's 
false play is one of the difficulties the second player 
has to encounter, and it often upsets his conclusions. 

In all the preceding examples, it will be noticed 
that the second card held by the second hand is 
always higher than the second or third card held 
by Dummy ; thus assisting to obstruct the suit later. 
It is an important element in such positions, and one 
that must not be overlooked when applying these 
principles. 

From the foregoing, as shown in my book on Bridge, 
this following simple rule may be formulated : — 

Unless it is palpably useless to do so, always cover 
a high card obviously led to support strength in 
the exposed hand ; but do not cover high cards led 



SYNOPSIS OF ORIGINAL LEADS 153 

by the declarer, which appear to be led from strength 
unless you hold only two, or a second card not lower 
than the ten, or a fourchette. 

Whenever you hold the ace, queen, and another, 
and the declarer leads a ten to king, knave, etc., 
in Dummy, play the ace. It is useless to play the 
queen, unless you hold ace, queen, nine, when of 
course you put her on. 

With king, knave, nine, play the knave on a ten 
led to the ace, queen, etc., in dummy ; but with 
king, knave, and a small one, play your lowest. 
Your only chance in the latter position is that the 
declarer may play the exposed queen on his own ten. 

If you hold king, queen, and another, and you are 
led through with a ten, to ace, knave, etc., in the 
exposed hand, play the queen ; but if you hold two 
small ones, play the lowest, and your queen to the 
next lead through. The same if you hold ace, knave, 
and two small ones, and a ten is led to king, queen, 
etc. Pass the first round, and play your ace on the 
second. With ace, knave, and another, and of course 
with ace, knave, nine, cover the ten with the knave. 

Do not cover a queen led to king and others, if 
you hold ace, knave, and two small ones, unless you 
want the lead ; but win the trick if you have only 
one small one. 

Never be in too great a hurry to win a trick, 
unless you have some particular object in doing 
so. Supposing you hold the king and two small 
ones, and the declarer leads a small card to the 
queen in the exposed hand ; do not play the king, 
since by retaining him you defer the establishment 
of the suit. 



154 AUCTION BRIDGE 

Sometimes, when you open a suit, you will find 
the whole strength against you. In such cases, 
do not attempt to cover cards led through you by 
the declarer to dummy. Supposing you open with 
the smallest from queen, knave, five, four. The 
dummy puts down king, ten, nine, eight, seven, six. 
Your partner is void. The declarer, with ace, three, 
two, wins with the ace, in order to lead through you. 
You should not play the knave on his three, but your 
five. This will stop the suit. If you play the knave, 
the declarer will pass the trick from Dummy ; and 
when he next gets in, will lead through you again, 
and make all Dummy's cards in the suit. 

The Play of the Younger Hand 

As younger hand when the bidding has disclosed 
nothing you know your partner's first lead is from 
his strongest suit. It is your duty always to get 
out of his way, lest you block his long suit ; and it 
is obligatory on you, when you get in, always to 
return your partner's lead at once ; unless it is 
obvious from the exposed hand that to do so will 
result disastrously ; or unless you have a strong 
suit yourself, consisting of certain winning cards, 
which you should make first. When your partner 
opens with a high card, you must be guided in your 
play by a consideration of the combination led 
from. When he leads an ace, it is from seven or 
more headed by ace, queen, knave, ten, or ace, queen, 
knave, or ace, queen, ten ; or it is from ace, queen, 
and six or more small ones ; or it may be from 
the same high cards, and less small ones, plus a card 



SYNOPSIS OF ORIGINAL LEADS 155 

of re-entry. Unless he holds the queen and knave 
as well as the ace, his lead cannot be from less than 
six of the suit led. 

If you hold the king and one other, play the king 
on the ace led. If you hold two small ones, defer 
playing the king till the second round. Should you 
hold four to the king, play the penultimate to the 
ace, the ante-penultimate to the second round, and 
the king to the third round, unless it becomes patent 
in the meantime that the lead was from ace, queen, 
knave, and one other only, in which case your play 
will depend upon whether, in your opinion, it will 
be more advantageous for the lead to be with you or 
your partner after the fourth round. With the king, 
knave, and another, or the king, ten, and another — 
and of course, if they are unguarded — you should 
play the king on the ace led, and the ten or knave 
on the second round. When you hold the knave 
or ten, and the king is in the exposed hand, you will 
play your knave or ten when the king is put on. 
So long as the king remains in the exposed hand, 
your knave or ten cannot block your partner's suit, 
whereas if you play it at once it may mislead him 
as to the number you hold ; and it is always of the 
greatest importance to avoid misleading your 
partner. 

When a king is led, it can only be from ace, king, 
or king, queen, and five or more small ones, or from 
ace, king, queen, etc., from ace, king, knave, ten, 
or ace, king, knave, and others, plus a card of re- 
entry ; or from king, queen, knave, ten, etc., king, 
queen, knave, etc., or king, queen, ten, and two or 
more others. When you hold the ace, knave, or 



156 AUCTION BRIDGE 

ace, ten, with or without a small one, the lead can 
only be from king, queen, and five or more, or king, 
queen, ten, and two or more, or from king, queen, 
knave, and one or more. You should play your 
ace on the king led, and return the knave or ten. 
With two small ones, play your penultimate on the 
king, your ace on the second round, and lead the 
knave or ten third round. When a king is led, and 
you hold the ace, the lead may be from king, queen, 
and five or more small ones ; the king, queen, 
knave, ten, with or without others ; the king, queen, 
knave, with one or more ; or the king, queen, ten, 
and two or more. With one small one, you must 
play the ace on the king, and return the small one. 
If you have the ace and two small ones, play your 
penultimate on the king, the ace on the second 
round, and return the lowest. 

Occasionally, when the lead is from king, queen, 
knave, and two or three small ones, the ten, with 
three others, may appear in the exposed hand. 
With the ace and one other, you should then play 
the small one on the king led. It will be of no use 
for your partner to continue with the knave, because 
it is clear that the ten will stop the suit on the fourth 
round. He must next lead a small one, because his 
only chance of making five tricks in the suit is to 
find you with the ace, and to be able to get in again. 

When a king is led, and you hold the ace and 
three small ones, play your penultimate to the king. 
If it is followed by the queen, you play your remain- 
ing middle card ; if by the knave, your ace. 

When a king is led and four to the ten appear in 
Dummy, and you hold the ace and three small ones, 



SYNOPSIS OF ORIGINAL LEADS 157 

the lead is from king, queen, knave, etc. You play 
your highest to the king, and your penultimate to 
the second lead. If four to the knave appear in 
dummy, the lead is from king, queen, ten, and two 
others. To the king you will play your lowest but 
one, because the declarer can have none of the suit, 
and your partner will know all the cards you hold, 
and will play accordingly. 

When a king is led, and there are none of the suit 
in the exposed hand, you will, if you hold the ace 
and three little ones, play your highest small card 
on the king. If the king is followed by the queen 
or knave, you will play your penultimate. Your 
partner, if he followed king with queen, will con- 
tinue with the knave, and then his smallest. If he 
followed king with knave, he will lead a small one, 
which you will take with your ace, and return your 
lowest. Unless you play in this way, a trick loss 
may result. It is only when there are none of the 
suit led in the exposed hand, that you will make a 
false echo, with only four (as in the case given 
above) ; and it is only in such cases that your 
partner, with more than four, must lead a small 
one on the third round, when you have echoed. 

When a king is led, and you hold the ace and 
four or more small ones, you must play your ante- 
penultimate on the king, and your penultimate on 
the queen or knave next led. This is called echoing, 
and indicates to your partner that you hold five 
or more in the suit. It is seldom of practical value, 
since in such positions the information is nearly 
always deducible from the fall of the cards. 

When, however, your partner leads from ace, king, 



158 AUCTION BRIDGE 

queen, and another, and you hold five to the knave, 
the echo is most useful. To the king led you play 
your ante-penultimate, and to his queen your 
penultimate. He knows you hold •Q.ve, and may 
fearlessly continue the suit. To his ace you must 
play your lowest, and win his little one with your 
knave, making the fifth trick with your last card. 
But for your echo, he might fear to relinquish 
command of the suit by leading a third round. If 
you hold five to the ten, and there are none in the 
exposed hand, the declarer will win the fourth 
round ; but you may get in later, when your remain- 
ing card will be good for a trick. Anyhow, when 
you echo, the most the declarer can do is to make 
one trick in the suit. 

When a king is led, and you hold the queen, 
knave ; or queen, ten ; or knave, ten ; with or 
without another or others, play the lowest of the 
two high cards on the king led, and the highest on 
the ace. If you hold the queen and small ones, 
play the queen on the king led. If you hold the 
knave or ten, and two others, play the knave or ten 
on the king led. If you hold three others, play your 
penultimate on the king led, retaining the knave or 
ten till the third round. When a knave is led, and 
you hold the queen and small ones, play your lowest 
but one. The lead can only be from ace, king, 
knave, ten ; ace, knave, ten, etc. ; or knave, ten, 
nine, etc. When a knave is led, and you hold the 
king and others, and the queen is in the exposed 
hand, retain the king. If the queen is not in the 
exposed hand, play your king on the knave ; and 
if it wins, return your highest. 



SYNOPSIS OF ORIGINAL LEADS 159 

A study of the analysis of the original leads of 
high cards will supply the reasons for the above 
system of play. Unless it is followed, you may often 
block your partner's suit. Speaking broadly, when 
your partner leads a high card, you should nearly 
always retain your lowest card of the suit led, in 
No Trumps. 

A difference will be noticed between unblocking 
and echoing. A true echo is when you hold five or 
more, and you play a higher card to the first round 
of your partner's high card led, and a lower to the 
second. You occasionally have to make a false 
echo with only four, as has been shown ; but ordin- 
arily, when unblocking with four, the proper play 
is to play your third card on the first high card led 
by your partner, and your second on the second 
round, retaining your highest and lowest cards for 
the later rounds. 

When a queen is led, and you hold the ace, and 
the king is in the exposed hand, you will defer 
playing your ace until he is put on, or as long as 
possible. If the king is not in the exposed hand, 
you will play your ace, if it is only singly guarded, 
but not if doubly guarded ; unless you can infer 
that the lead is from queen, knave, nine, etc., and 
think that you will catch the king in the declarer's 
hand, when you may play the ace on the queen. 

When the elder hand leads a small card origin- 
ally, you should play your highest card, third in 
hand, remembering always that you must play the 
lowest of a sequence. It is contrary to principle 
to finesse in your partner's strong suit. With ace, 
queen, etc., or ace, queen, knave, etc., you must 



160 AUCTION BRIDGE 

play the ace (unless the king is in the exposed hand) 
and return the queen. You may possibly find the 
king single with the declarer, and in any case there 
is no advantage in playing the queen or knave. This 
applies with even greater force when you hold ace, 
queen only, because if you finesse you will block 
the suit for your partner. With ace, queen only, 
even if the king is in Dummy, you must play the 
ace and return the queen. 

If you hold the king, knave, ten, or king, knave, 
and another, and you see the queen and two small 
ones in the exposed hand, you will of course play 
the ten or the knave, and, if it wins, return the 
king. The queen will fall to your partner's ace on 
the third round, and the suit will be brought in. 
If you see the queen, ten, two in the exposed hand, 
and you hold the knave, nine, three, you will play 
the nine ; and, if it should happen to win, you will 
return the knave ; and so on. Such positions are 
obvious. 

Your play, as third hand, will be influenced to 
a very great extent by what you see in the exposed 
hand. You hold ace, knave, two ; your partner 
leads the five. You see, in the exposed hand, king 
and another. If the declarer is a sound player, 
he will of course play the king, unless he holds 
the queen himself. If the king is not put on, and 
you play the ace, the king must block the suit next 
round. You should finesse the knave. The same 
if you hold ace, ten, etc., as your partner may have 
led from knave and others. The declarer wins with 
the queen, and must then open a suit up to you. 
When you next get in, your ace will bring down 



SYNOPSIS OF ORIGINAL LEADS 161 

the king, and your partner's suit will be established. 
Likewise, with queen and two others in the exposed 
hand, you should finesse the knave or ten, with ace 
knave, or ace ten, etc., or king knave, or king 
ten, etc . ; for you cannot otherwise establish the suit. 
With the king and two others or the queen and 
three others exposed, you cannot establish the suit 
right away, whatever you do ; so do not in such 
cases finesse knave or ten, from ace knave, or ace 
ten, etc., or king knave, king ten, etc., but play 
the ace or king, and return the knave or ten. If 
the knave or ten forces out the exposed king or 
queen, you will be able to lead your small one to 
your partner when you get in again. 

With only the king or queen and small ones in 
the exposed hand, it is useless to finesse the nine 
from ace nine, or king nine, since your partner can- 
not hold the queen, knave, ten ; ace, knave, ten ; 
or king, knave, ten, etc. ; but with the king, knave, 
and another, king, ten, and another ; queen, knave, 
and two others ; or queen, ten, and two others, in 
the exposed hand, you are forced to finesse the 
nine. You can obviously do no good by winning 
with the ace or king, and returning the nine ; but if 
your partner has led from a long suit headed by the 
queen or king, you may, by finessing the nine, clear 
his suit on the third round. You cannot lose by 
finessing the nine, and you may gain a trick ; there- 
fore you should venture it. As the card led by 
your partner will be his fourth-best, it may occasion- 
ally enable you to infer how the cards lie. 

As has been stated already, you should always 
return your partner's suit, unless, from the cards 

11 



162 AUCTION BRIDGE 

in the exposed hand, you see it will be useless to do 
so. For instance, if you win the first trick with 
the king, and see the ace, queen, ten in the ex- 
posed hand, it is hopeless to return the suit. Except, 
however, there are at least two certain winning 
cards of your partner's suit in the exposed hand, 
you should return his lead, in preference to opening 
a fresh suit. You cannot hope to establish two 
suits, and the attempt will usually result in your 
failing to establish either. 

Except in the instance given, you should, when 
you get in and return your partner's lead, ordinarily 
return him your highest card, unless you hold at 
least as many as he does, when you are guided by a 
consideration as to whom it is best for the lead to 
remain with after the suit is exhausted. Suppose 
your partner leads a small card, when the declarer 
has made the declaration, and you hold (say) king, 
queen, ten, nine, and a small one, and the knave and 
another are in the exposed hand ; you will play the 
nine. If it wins, you will return a small one ; the 
reason being that, if your partner holds five also, 
you will be able to lead through the strong hand 
when the suit is done. 

Be careful always to give your partner as much 
assistance as you can, and all the information 
possible about his suit. Avoid spoiling his tenaces 
later on, by getting rid of cards likely to do this. 
It is generally safer to discard a higher card of his 
suit, when you are forced to throw away, than a 
lower. Do not try to bring in two suits ; and if 
you win the first trick, return your partner's lead 
at once, without indulging in the silly practice of 



SYNOPSIS OF ORIGINAL LEADS 163 

showing your suit first. Win with the lowest of a 
sequence always, as it helps your partner to locate 
the cards ; and when you return his lead, return 
the highest of two, or the lowest of three or more, 
unless you hold winning cards, or cards in sequence, 
when you should return the best. The returned 
lead from four or more depends sometimes on 
the card led, the cards in the exposed hand, 
and the cards you hold. If there is a chance 
of blocking your partner's suit by returning the 
lowest, do not do so, but retain it, and return the 
penultimate. 

In relation to the declarer, your efforts should be 
directed to obstructing, as long as possible, the 
establishment of his suits. Do not, however, go to 
the absurd extreme of losing tricks merely in order 
to retain a commanding card. You should only 
refuse to give up the command when parting with 
it will entail a greater loss. 

Whenever the declarer leads a queen, knave, or 
ten, through you from Dummy, you are better 
placed than your partner is when he is led through 
to Dummy, because you see from what combination 
the lead is. 

In all cases, when any player is led through, it 
is more advantageous, if possible, to preserve any 
strength on the left of the strong hand as long as 
practicable. Since the result of covering a high 
card led is to place two high cards out of action at 
once, the value of lower cards is increased thereby. 
Therefore, before covering, an important element 
is the position of these lower cards, and due note 
must be taken of their position in your own and the 



164 AUCTION BRIDGE 

exposed hand. This was alluded to in dealing with 
this phase of the game in regard to the play of the 
elder hand. Several illustrations will now be given, 
in order to explain the theory of covering when you 
see the combination led from. 

South is the declarer, North is dummy, West is 
elder hand ; and East is the younger hand. 

North holds the knave, six, three ; and East 
the king, eight, five. North leads the knave. South 
must hold at least four. If he has the ace, queen, 
and ten, whether East covers or not, four tricks are 
lost at once. If he has the ace and queen, and not 
the ten, East will make West's ten good by covering 
and will lose a trick by not covering. 

If South holds the ace, ten, nine, East and West 
will only make one trick, whether East covers or not ; 
but it will be the second or third trick if he covers, 
and only the first if he passes. 

If South holds the ace, ten ; and East covers, 
East and West will make two tricks in the suit. 
Therefore, when Dummy leads an unsupported 
knave, the balance is all in favour of covering. 

Supposing, now, that Dummy holds the knave, 
ten, three, and East the king, eight, five, as before. 
South must hold at least four. If South has the 
ace, queen, East's play is immaterial ; but if he 
only holds the ace, and the queen and nine are with 
West, East will gain a trick by passing. West would 
win the first trick with the queen. When North 
continues the suit with the ten, East would cover, 
and leave West's nine good for the third trick. 
If East covers the knave, South wins with the ace ; 
and North's ten, being on the left of West, will 



SYNOPSIS OF ORIGINAL LEADS 165 

make a trick. The whole situation is thus altered 
by the position of the ten. 

In the first case, the strength (i.e. the ten) is on 
the left of the third hand ; and in the second, the 
third hand is on the left of the strength (i.e. the ten). 
It has been shown that, in the latter position, it is 
disadvantageous to cover, and that it is better to 
preserve strength over the supported knave led, 
and not to cover. 

Covering the knave clears the suit, and increases 
the value of the ten. Another contingent advantage 
of not covering is that you avoid the possible mis- 
chance of your covering card falling to a blank ace ; • 
whilst if you pass, there is nothing to prevent your 
covering the second high card. 

It sometimes pays better to defer covering till 
the second round, as in the following cases : North 
holds the queen, knave, nine, two ; and East the 
king, seven, three. The declarer must have the 
ace or ten, and perhaps both. If he has both ace 
and ten, East's play is of no consequence, but if he 
holds the ace only, and the ten is doubly guarded 
with West, East must win a trick in the suit if he 
passes the queen led. If he covers, and the declarer 
finesses the nine through West on the return of the 
suit, East and West cannot make any trick. Thus, 
although there are some situations when not to 
cover may lose a trick, the balance of advan- 
tage rests with not covering a card led from a 
sequence. 

Whenever, from Dummy, the declarer leads an 
unsupported high card from only two, and you, 
second hand, hold the king or queen and two small 



166 AUCTION BRIDGE 

ones, it should be covered. All that has been 
written to explain the first example of an unsup- 
ported knave applies with even greater force when 
the Dummy's high card is only singly guarded. In 
such cases, the declarer probably holds at least 
five, since he will scarcely try to clear a suit 
unless he and dummy hold at least seven of it 
between them ; and all the strength may, there- 
fore, be presumed to be on your left ; and unless 
you cover, your covering card will be rendered 
useless. 

If you cover, you are taking the best chance of 
making good, in your partner's hand, any lower 
card he may hold. Of course, you will not cover 
a singleton high card led from dummy. 

If, however, you hold three guards behind your 
king or queen, and there are two of the suit in 
dummy, your partner is very unlikely to hold 
more than two ; and to cover them would be a 
useless waste of your high card. In such positions 
you should pass, and trust to doing the stopping 
with your own hand. Of course, if with your king 
or queen you hold the ten, or a fourchette, you 
should cover. 

To summarise the position, you should cover an 
unsupported queen, knave, or ten led from dummy, 
when you have the king, queen, or knave, singly 
or doubly guarded ; and even when trebly guarded, 
if you hold the ten as well, or a fourchette ; but 
do not cover a queen, knave, or ten, led from two 
or more in sequence, unless you hold a fourchette. 

Should the declarer lead a ten, from ten, nine, 
eight, in the exposed hand, and you hold king, 



SYNOPSIS OF ORIGINAL LEADS 167 

knave, and another, cover the ten with the king, 
not with the knave. If the ace is with your partner, 
your king will make ; if it is with the declarer, 
your partner's queen will become good. If both 
ace and queen are with the declarer, your king 
is of no value. When a medium card, such as 
an eight or a nine, is led, and you hold a king, 
queen, and another, or queen, knave, and another, 
play the lowest of the sequence ; with two small 
ones, play the fourth best. 

When you obtain the lead later in the hand, 
your best lead will generally be up to weakness in 
Dummy. When leading to weakness, it is advan- 
tageous to lead a card higher than appears in the 
exposed hand. 

When there is a great suit in the exposed hand, 
which can only be brought in by the aid of one 
or two entry cards in it in other suits, you should 
try to get these out before the long suit is cleared ; 
even if, in order to do so, you have to sacrifice one 
or two sure tricks. 

Unless anxious to secure the lead, either to lead 
your 1 own or return your partner's established suit, 
do not take a trick on the first round, if you can 
defer it till later. For example, the ace and two 
small ones are in the exposed hand. The dealer 
leads the ace and then a small one from it. You 
hold the king and two small ones ; you should not 
play the king on the second round, because stopping 
cards should also be held back as long as possible, 
especially when there is a card remaining in the 
weak hand that may be used to bring in the long 
suit later. 



168 AUCTION BRIDGE 

The Play of the Fourth Hand 

As a rule the function of the fourth player being 
to win, if he can, the tricks that are against him, 
his play does not call for much remark. Apart 
from the general principle that the command of 
an adverse suit should be retained as long as pos- 
sible, positions occasionally occur when, as fourth 
player, you should refrain from winning the first 
trick. These special exceptions are when, by 
holding up, you may upset the declarer's game ; 
or when, by not winning the first, or even the 
second trick, you may secure an eventual trick again. 
These situations will be best explained by examples. 

Supposing the declarer has led a small card to 
the ace, queen, knave, etc., in the exposed hand, 
and finessed the knave, and you, as fourth player, 
hold the king and two small ones. You should not 
win the knave. The declarer will imagine the king 
is on his left ; and in order to put himself in again, 
with a view to again leading, as he supposes, through 
the king, he may open a suit from the exposed hand, 
which may necessitate his parting with the command 
in it, and thus place you in an advantageous position 
when you get in on the next trick with your king. 
Or supposing you, fourth hand, hold the king, 
knave only, of a suit of which ace, queen, ten, two 
are in the exposed hand, and the declarer leads the 
nine. You should win with the king. When he 
next leads, he will play the ten from the exposed 
hand, and your knave will win. You cannot lose 
anything by playing in this way, and may win an 
extra trick. 



SYNOPSIS OP ORIGINAL LEADS 169 

Again, supposing the cards remaining in the 
exposed hand are the ace of clubs ; queen, four of 
spades ; and six, three of hearts, and the declarer 
leads from it the queen of spades. You know your 
partner holds the two best hearts, and that the other 
high spades are with the dealer. With the ace and 
two other spades, and two small clubs, you should 
pass the queen of spades fourth in hand. If you 
win the queen, you will lose all the other tricks. If 
you forbear, you will make three tricks instead of 
one. Sometimes again, when you are declarer, 
and have declared No Trump, and the elder hand 
leads a king, which he follows with queen or knave, 
you should refuse to win the first two tricks if you 
hold four of the suit with ace, ten. You may make 
an extra trick, and cannot lose one. It is by at- 
tending to little points like these that the skilled 
performer scores over the less-experienced player. 



The Play of the Declarer 

Let us now turn to the declarer's management of 
the two hands. Especially when the game is played 
without trumps, this is one of the most difficult, 
and at the same time fascinating studies in Auction 
as in ordinary Bridge. 

A card having been led, the exposed hand goes 
down, and the declarer sees all the material at his 
disposal with which he has to combat his two 
adversaries. Now is the time when he has to 
decide upon his course of action — whether he is to 
defend or attack ; whether he is to lose his con- 



170 AUCTION BRIDGE 

tract or make it, to save the game or win it — and 
before he commits himself to any kind of policy, 
and before he plays a single card, it is most import- 
ant that he should study his resources carefully. 
It is this ability at once to formulate his plans, 
owing to his knowledge of all his twenty-six cards 
that confers upon the declarer the very great 
advantage he has in the play. 

In playing No Trumps, apart from his plan of 
campaign (i.e. whether he is to play for the game, 
or any minor goal) there are two aims that the 
declarer has to keep before him : — 

(1) To bring in one or more long suits. 

(2) To prevent the adversaries bringing in a long 
suit. 

Keeping these main objects in mind, the means 
he adopts to achieve them constitute his strategy. 
In order to bring in his own suits, he has to 
force out cards of obstruction ; he has to preserve 
or create cards of re-entry ; he has to unblock ; 
he has to compel discards, to finesse, and to place 
the leads. 

In order to prevent his adversaries bringing in a 
suit, he has to retain cards of obstruction ; to extract 
their cards of re-entry ; and to deceive them as often 
as he can, by playing false cards whenever possible. 

As the first lead comes from the adversaries, his 
first efforts will be directed to accomplishing this 
second aim. 

Being familiar with the scheme of leading and 
the principles of play, he is able to derive as accurate 
information, from the cards led or played by his 
adversaries, as they are themselves. 



SYNOPSIS OF ORIGINAL LEADS 171 

Supposing the original leader opens with a knave. 
The lead is either from ace, king, knave, ten, etc., 
and no re-entry ; or ace, knave, ten, etc. ; or 
knave, ten, nine, etc. If you hold the ace, or if 
it is in the exposed hand, the lead can only be 
from the last combination ; or if one of you holds 
the king, it must be from one of the last two, and 
so on. If the king is in your hand, there is no 
difficulty ; but if he is with Dummy, and the lead 
is from knave, ten, etc., the ace and queen are 
on your right, and to cover would establish the suit. 
If it is from the ace, knave, ten, etc., you will win 
the trick if you cover the knave from Dummy ; 
but the suit will be cleared, and this is what you 
wish to avoid. You must be guided by the number 
of cards there are behind the king, and the number 
of the suit you hold yourself. Your only chance 
of blocking the suit is that the younger hand may 
be short in it. If the king in Dummy is only singly 
guarded, it must obviously be always put on a 
knave led. 

When a queen is led, it is from ace, queen, knave, 
ten ; or ace, queen, knave, etc., without a card of 
re-entry ; or from queen, knave, ten, etc. ; or 
queen, knave, nine, etc. If the king is with Dummy, 
and one of you holds the ten, it is from the second 
or last combination ; and whether, if it is the last, 
the king makes or not, depends upon whether the 
ace in the hand of the leader's partner is singly or 
doubly guarded. If you and Dummy each hold 
three, the ace is almost certainly only singly 
guarded, and Dummy's king will block the suit 
if not put on. 



172 AUCTION BRIDGE 

If Dummy holds three, and you four, or vice 
versa, either the ace is single with the player on 
your right, or the lead is from ace, queen, knave, 
etc. If you or Dummy hold the nine also, of course 
the lead can only be from the latter combination. 
Even without knowing where the ten is, you should 
never play a doubly guarded king from the exposed 
hand on a queen led. Your only chance of 
making him, or of stopping the suit, will be to find 
fewer guards behind the presumed ace in the hand 
of the leader's partner than there are in Dummy. 
Whenever a king is singly guarded in the exposed 
hand, he must always be played on a queen led ; 
and when doubly guarded, he must be played von 
the second round. If he should be trebly guarded, 
retain him as long as possible. 

When a knave is led, and the queen is in the 
exposed hand, and you have not the king, the lead 
is from ace, king, knave, ten, etc. ; ace, knave, ten, 
etc. ; or knave, ten, nine, etc. The only chance 
the queen has of making, if she is put on, is if the 
lead is from the first combination. If singly guarded 
you must put her on ; if not, there is a better chance 
of her stopping the suit if you hold her up, in the 
hope that it may become exhausted first in the 
hand of the leader's partner. 

When a king is singly guarded in the exposed 
hand, you should play him on any card led ; 
even if you have the ace or queen, or both yourself, 
unless you wish to preserve him for a re-entry card. 
If you have not the ace, and do not play the king, 
he must fall to the ace on the second round. 

Unless for the purpose of subsequently placing 



SYNOPSIS OF ORIGINAL LEADS 173 

the lead, do not try to take a trick from the ex- 
posed hand when you hold a card of equal value 
yourself. For instance, the elder hand originally 
leads a small diamond. In the exposed hand are 
the queen and two small ones. You hold, as 
declarer, the king and another. You should play 
a small one from the exposed hand. Your king 
must make ; and, if the ace is with the leader, the 
queen will also be good. 

The foregoing examples illustrate the position 
when the elder hand opens with" a high card, and 
when the majority of the strength in the suit is 
against you. 

In other somewhat similar positions, a reference 
to the instructions given for the play of the elder 
and younger hands when led through will supply 
you with the necessary guidance how to proceed. 
It must be remembered that the declarer's play is 
easier, because he knows the cards Dummy has ; 
whilst the cards led by his adversaries tell him what 
combinations they are leading from. 

When a suit is led in which you have strength, 
and in which you are able to take two tricks, it is 
better to win the first and third, or second and 
third, than the first and second ; unless you are 
anxious to get in, or unless there is another whole 
suit against you. 

Do not refrain from taking a trick, if you can still 
stop the suit, when by so doing you may win one 
trick less in it. For instance, the elder hand opens 
with a king. You hold the ace and a small one, 
and Dummy the knave and two little ones. The 
lead can only be from king, queen, ten, etc., and 



174 AUCTION BRIDGE 

you should win the king with your ace. Dummy 
can still stop the suit with his knave. 

Or, a six is led. Dummy puts down the ten, nine, 
three. You hold ace, knave. Third player plays 
the king. You should win with the ace. The 
original leader holds the queen, eight, seven ; and 
Dummy's ten holds the suit. If all the strength is 
in your own hand, you must be careful to guard 
against being led through. A king is led. Dummy 
puts down two small ones. You hold the ace, ten, 
and two small ones ; or ace, knave, and another. 
The lead is either from king, queen, knave, etc.. ; 
or from king, queen, ten, etc. It is better to pass 
the king ; because if the suit is persevered with, you 
will win the second and third tricks. If, however, 
you hold the same cards, and a fourth-best is led, 
upon which the queen is played by the third hand, 
you should win her. If not, you will be led through. 
In this instance, the strength will be on your left, 
which has been shown to be disadvantageous. When 
you hold the king, queen, and another, do not win 
the first trick. You must make one trick in the 
suit, and the longer you defer it the better. 

If a fourth-best is led, and you hold the 
ace, queen only, and the Dummy puts down the 
knave and two small ones, you should win the first 
trick with your ace, whereby you will win the first 
and third tricks, Again, if you hold ace and a 
small one, and the Dummy holds king and two 
others, you should pass the first trick, and win the 
second and third. 

These last are all examples of the best methods 
of blocking an adverse suit when you have strength 



SYNOPSIS OF ORIGINAL LEADS 175 

in it. When, however, a suit is led in which you 
have the winning card, and there is another whole 
suit against you, it is injudicious not to take the 
first trick, lest the other suit be opened. For instance, 
the elder hand leads the ten of hearts. You hold 
the ace and another, and Dummy two small ones. 
The younger hand plays the queen. You and 
Dummy are blank in clubs, which suit is all against 
you. You should win the queen, and proceed to 
make your diamonds and spades. If not, the 
younger hand may win half-a-dozen tricks in clubs. 
Occasionally the adversaries will open a long suit 
headed by (say) queen, knave, ten ; and there 
are one or two re-entry cards against you. Im- 
mediately you take the first trick of the long suit, 
you should start to force out one of these re-entry 
cards, and establish your own longest suit before 
you lose command of your adversary's. You will 
thus compel discards, and perhaps oblige your 
adversary to weaken his long suit, in order to retain 
his second re-entry card. 

Your third weapon is the play of false cards. 
Incidentally, it may be pointed out that nothing 
is to be gained by playing cards irregularly from the 
exposed hand, unless they are in sequence with 
cards held by yourself. In that case, it becomes 
necessary, in order to prevent the adversaries 
locating the cards. For instance, the leader starts 
with a four. Dummy puts down the queen, nine, 
eight ; and you hold the knave, ten, and a small 
one. If you play the eight, which is won by the 
king, the leader knows you hold the knave. You 
should play the queen ; and when the suit is re- 



176 AUCTION BRIDGE 

turned, you should put on the knave. Likewise, 
when you lead to Dummy, do not play regularly. 
For instance, you lead a small one, from king, 
knave, ten, to the queen, nine, and another in the 
exposed hand. You should put on the queen, 
and not the nine. 

To play an ace on a queen led, when you hold 
the king, is the merest folly. It at once makes 
plain to the leader's partner the combination 
led from. A queen may be led from ace, queen, 
knave, etc., or queen, knave, ten, etc., or queen, 
knave, nine, etc. If you win with the ace, the 
leader's partner knows you have the king, and is 
informed also that the leader has opened from one 
of the latter combinations. 

The lead of the fourth-best by your adversaries 
will often help you out of a difficulty. Supposing 
the elder hand leads a five. You have none of 
the suit ; and Dummy exposes the king, nine, six, 
three. Unless you cover the five with Dummy's 
six, you may lose five tricks in the suit. Whenever 
you cannot beat a fourth-best lead in your own 
hand, you should cover it from the exposed hand, 
in order to prevent the adversary continuing to 
lead through Dummy. 

We now come to the declarer's management of his 
own suits. As soon as you see the exposed hand, 
you should select the suit or suits you intend to 
clear. It is better to go for a suit in the hand 
that holds re-entry cards, and it is better to give the 
preference to a suit headed by a king and queen, 
rather than one headed by an ace. It is obviously 
better to choose a suit of which you hold five or 



SYNOPSIS OF ORIGINAL LEADS 177 

six in one hand, with two or three in the other, than 
one of which you hold four in either hand. 

When you have decided which suit you intend 
to play for, you must endeavour to clear it 
before you lose control of the adverse suits, and 
before your entry cards are drawn. You must 
also be careful not to block it ; and you should try 
to arrange the leads so as to hem in obstructive 
cards by finessing through them. There are several 
ways of forcing out cards of obstruction. The 
common one of continuing to lead high cards in 
sequence needs no explanation. Another method 
is that indicated in the leads, when a card such as a 
queen or knave is led from ace, queen, knave, etc. ; 
or ace, knave, ten, etc. ; and so on. A device less 
well known, but familiar to instructed players, is 
that of giving away the first, and sometimes the 
first and second tricks, in order to make the re- 
mainder. This is often the only way of clearing 
a suit when the hand in which it is contains no 
re-entry card. Here are some examples : — 

You hold three small ones. There are five to 
the ace in the exposed hand. In order to make 
three tricks in the suit, you will have to lose the 
first two. 

You hold two small ones. Dummy has five to 
the ace, queen. You cannot make four tricks in 
the suit unless you give up the first, and the finesse 
is successful on the second round. 

You hold two small ones, and Dummy puts 
down six to the ace, king. You must let the first 
trick go. 

You hold the queen, knave, and another. Dummy 

12 



178 AUCTION BRIDGE 

has the ace and four small ones. You lead the 
queen. If the second player covers, you must 
pass it up. 

You hold two small ones, and Dummy has seven 
to the tierce major. When you lead, you discover 
that your left-hand adversary has none of the suit. 
You must let the first trick go. If you do not, the 
fourth player will stop the suit on the fourth round. 

These situations are constantly occurring, and 
the preceding illustrations will serve to show the 
operation of the principle involved in sacrificing 
the less in order to gain the greater ; as well as 
how to get rid of stopping cards. 

Very often you are able to capture an obstructive 
card by leading through it. Supposing the ace, 
queen, knave, etc. ; the ace, queen, ten, etc. ; or 
the ace, knave, ten, etc., are in the exposed hand, 
and you hold the ten and another, or the knave and 
another, or the queen and another. If you lead, 
you must kill the king if he is on your left and only 
doubly guarded ; or, if you hold the ten and another, 
the knave and another, or the king and another ; 
and Dummy has the ace, king, knave, etc. ; the 
ace, king, ten, etc. ; or the ace, knave, ten, etc., the 
queen is likewise hemmed in, if on your left and 
only doubly guarded. Whenever there is a tenace 
(major, minor, or vice) it should be led to from 
the weak hand. 

The second point the declarer has to attend to is 
that of re-entry cards, and a very important one 
it is. The first rule has already been alluded to — 
i.e. to establish your long suit before your card or 
cards of re-entry have been forced out. 



SYNOPSIS OF ORIGINAL LEADS 179 

Cards of re-entry may be divided into two classes 
— those that are natural trick-makers ; and those 
that are made so by sacrificing or getting rid of 
cards in the other hand, in order to leave them 
winners. Aces, kings, and queens belong to the 
former category ; whilst a four or a five may be 
constituted a re-entry card. 

A few illustrations will best explain what is meant. 
You hold the ace, queen, and a small one ; or the 
king, queen, and a small one. Dummy holds the 
knave and two small ones. You must give up 
your queen, or your king and queen, in order to 
make Dummy's knave good. Or, you hold the king 
and two small ones, and Dummy holds the queen 
and two small ones. You must try to force out 
the ace with your king. It must not be forgotten 
that the adversaries will see through your aim, and 
will always endeavour to frustrate it by refusing 
to win your forcing cards. 

Often there is a chance of making a low card a 
re-entry, and this is frequently the case when you 
and Dummy hold all the winning cards. For 
instance, you hold the ace, king, eight, three. 
Dummy has the queen, six, five, two. You should 
lead the ace, king, eight, and play from Dummy 
the two, five, and queen ; thus making Dummy's 
six another re-entry. Or, you hold the ace, queen, 
knave, three. Dummy has the king, five, four, two. 
You play the ace, queen, knave, on which Dummy 
plays the two, four, king, leaving the five as a 
second re-entry when you lead the three next. 

Again, you hold the tierce major and a three. 
Dummy has an established suit, and four of your 



180 AUCTION BRIDGE 

tierce major suit to the six. You can make this 
six a re-entry card. Sometimes you can make a 
re-entry card by winning a trick already won by 
Dummy. Thus : you hold the ace, king, and a 
small one. Dummy has the queen, knave only. 
You win dummy's knave with your king, leaving 
his queen a card of re-entry. 

A simple instance of placing the lead, and one 
that occurs most frequently, is when you know 
that an adversary holds the winning card of one 
suit, and a guarded card in another, in which you 
hold a tenace. This generally occurs towards the 
end of a hand. For instance, you hold two spades, 
and the knave, nine of diamonds. On your left is 
the winning spade and the ten and two small 
diamonds. If you lead a losing spade, you will 
win three tricks. The simplest case of arranging 
leads is when the cards lie somewhat as follows : — 

You and Dummy hold (say) four clubs each, and 
can win every trick in them. Dummy holds a 
tenace in diamonds over the elder hand. You 
play the clubs in such a way that you win the 
fourth trick, in order to lead a diamond through 
to Dummy. 

Sometimes, when the adversaries refuse to win 
your clearing cards, you may have to win one your- 
self, in order to continue the suit. This is essential 
when you have only one re-entry. For instance, 
you hold the queen, knave only. Dummy has the 
king, ten, nine, and two small ones. You lead the 
queen, and then the knave. You must win the 
knave with Dummy's king, if the second player 
passes it in order to continue with his ten. 



SYNOPSIS OF ORIGINAL LEADS 181 

The last variety of strategy the declarer has to 
employ is to unblock, and this includes the clearance 
of tenaces. There is no need to explain elementary 
unblocking, such as playing high cards on high 
cards ; but carelessness is often fatal, even in these 
simple situations. For instance, you hold the ace, 
king, seven, six, five, two ; and Dummy the nine, 
eight, four. You lead the ace and king ; if you 
drop the queen and knave, and do not play the 
eight and nine from Dummy, your suit is blocked. 

Supposing you hold the ace and another, and 
Dummy has queen, knave, ten, etc., with only one 
re-entry. You should play the ace and a small 
one, and not attempt the finesse by leading the 
queen from the exposed hand. If you do, and if 
you find the king on your left, the adversary will 
extract your Dummy's re-entry, and your suit is 
spoiled. 

An example of unblocking a tenace is as follows :— 

Dummy has the ace, king, nine, and a small one, 
You know that four are with the elder hand. You 
should lead the ten, and win with the king ; then 
lead the small one, which you win with your queen ; 
and leave Dummy with the ace, nine over the elder's 
knave. 

As declarer, when you hold a long suit consisting 
of winning cards, in your own to your partner's 
hand, you should take the lead as soon as you can 
get it, and proceed to play out the suit. By doing 
this, you compel discards from your adversaries' 
long suits. Therefore, with the ace and a small one 
of the suit led in the exposed hand, play the ace 
at once on the card led, whatever it may be. Also, 



182 AUCTION BRIDGE 

whenever you can make enough tricks right off to 
win the game, you should do so. You are more 
likely to make additional ones later by doing this, 
than by attempting to make additional tricks in 
the early part of the hand before collecting your 
certainties. 

The declarer has almost endless opportunities of 
exercising his nki\\ ; but these (so to speak) ex- 
tempore artifices can hardly be reduced to principles, 
and the preceding well-known methods must suffice 
for your instructions. 

The Discard 

The importance of the discard, when there are 
no trumps, must be insisted on. A right interpre- 
tation of the information conveyed will often avert 
consequences at Auction more serious than at 
ordinary Bridge. 

A consideration of the subject is much com- 
plicated by the variety of conditions under which 
discards have to be made. Ordinarily, when a man 
has to throw something away, his natural impulse 
is to throw away what is of least use to him. In 
the same way, when a player has to discard some of 
his cards, ho will reject those that are of the least 
value. This is the primary idea of the discard. 
A secondary object is to convey to your partner 
by your discards some information that may be of 
use to him. The secondary object must not be 
allowed to obscure the primary idea, though the 
two may often be combined. 

When there are trumps, your discard should be 



SYNOPSIS OF ORIGINAL LEADS 183 

determined by a consideration as to who are the 
possessors of trump strength. When there are no 
trumps, the determinant is whether the lead is with 
your partner or the adversaries. There are two 
ways of discarding that supply exceptions to this ; 
and, when they are employed, it is immaterial 
whether your partner or your opponent is leading. 
The first of these is the call, or the directive discard 
by two cards ; and the second is the discard of the 
highest of a head sequence, or the directive discard 
by one card. When there are trumps, and you 
play a higher card on the first round of a suit led 
by your partner, and a lower on the second, it is 
an intimation that you have no more of it, and 
wish the suit led to you for a ruff. When there 
are no trumps, and you cannot follow suit, if you 
discard to the first round of a suit, led by either 
side, a higher card, and then to the second a lower 
one, it indicates great strength in the suit, and 
means you desire it led. In both cases, a call in 
this way signifies that the suit in which it is made 
is the one you require led. It is useful in cases 
when you hold five or six, headed by an ace, king, 
or a tierce major, and do not wish to unguard 
cards in shorter suits. This is known as the reverse 
discard, and is valuable inasmuch as it tells your 
partner that you can take care of the suit in which 
you make it. 

The second of these methods — i.e. by discarding 
the highest of a head sequence — is useful in showing 
a strong suit in one discard. With a quart or quint 
major, or a quart or quint to a king, the discard 
of the ace or king is a valuable way of indicating 



184 AUCTION BRIDGE 

your strength in the suit. It is not of much avail 
to discard a queen or lower card from long sequences 
headed by such cards, as you can hardly hope to 
clear them. ' 

Apart from these exceptions, you will be guided 
by who is leading, because the player who is leading 
is the one in a position to avail himself first of any 
information you may give. The values of the 
cards in your hand vary very materially, whether 
your partner or your opponents have the lead. 
If the declarer has the lead, and you, younger hand, 
see in the exposed hand on your right the ace, king, 
queen, and two other clubs, the knave and three 
small clubs is a more valuable suit in your hand 
than the quart major in hearts. If your partner is 
leading, your hearts represent four tricks, and are 
more valuable than the clubs. When your partner 
is leading, your discard should be from your weakest 
suits, since you wish, by every means in your power, 
to direct him to the suit you wish him to lead to 
you as soon as he has finished playing out his winning 
cards ; and at the same time you do not care to 
throw away any card of your suit which may be 
valuable. When you are obliged to discard, it 
frequently happens that you have to do so more 
than once ; and in such cases you should generally 
discard from the two suits you do not want led, 
unless this necessitates unguarding a card that may 
be valuable. By discarding from two suits, your 
partner can be in no doubt as to which is your strong 
suit, when his own is exhausted. When you are 
compelled to discard from three suits, the one you 
discard from last is the one you wish led. 



SYNOPSIS OP ORIGINAL LEADS 185 

When the lead is with your adversaries, and you 
have to discard, your partner should not draw any 
very rigid inferences from what you throw. Your 
discards will generally aim at being as protective 
as possible, and usually your first discard will 
therefore be from your best guarded suit. Conse- 
quently your first discard has some directive value, 
but your partner must infer nothing from any 
subsequent ones. Your first discard may some- 
times be from a worthless suit ; and in order then 
that you may not mislead your partner into sup- 
posing it to be your best guarded suit, you discard 
twice consecutively from it without calling. This 
is a useful method when you dare not unguard 
your only strong suit. It must be clearly under- 
stood that such discards are to be made consecu- 
tively. For instance, if you discard first a heart 
and then a spade, and later another heart, you have 
indicated hearts as your suit ; and the second 
discard from the suit is a forced one. If you first 
discard the three of hearts, and your next discard 
is the six, hearts is not your best protected suit. 

It very frequently happens that, when your 
adversaries have declared No Trumps, you have 
no suit with any commanding strength in it. Your 
strongest may be four, headed by a knave ; and 
there may be four or five of it in the exposed hand. 
In such situations you are compelled to keep the 
knave guarded, and your discards will be from 
your other suits, repeating the first one, so as not 
to mislead your partner. When your one suit 
is so weak, and you cannot discard from it without 
robbing it of its only power, it is very useful to be 



186 AUCTION BRIDGE 

able to discard twice consecutively from some other 
suit. It is essential for each player to discard, and 
to watch discards, most carefully ; otherwise he 
omits to avail himself of one of the most useful 
channels of information. 

To sum up, speaking generally, your first discard 
when the dealer's side is leading, unless it is repeated 
without calling, indicates your best protected suit ; 
but too rigid inferences must never be drawn from 
discards when the adversaries are in the lead. 

When your partner is leading, your discards are 
to be made from the suits you do not want him 
to lead. 

The reverse discard, and the head sequence dis- 
card, always indicate great strength, whichever 
side is leading, and denote that you wish that suit 
led. 



CHAPTER XIII 



EXAMPLES OF STRATEGY 



In the preceding pages reference has been made to 
tactics such as forcing cards of entry ; unblocking, 
refusing to win tricks, and other points that are 
constantly occurring in the course of the game ; 
and some examples will now be given to illustrate 
them. First is shown an instance of unblocking. 
The hands are as follows : — 



Declarer. 

Hearts — Ace, 10, 4. 
Diamonds — Ace, 6, 5. 
Clubs — Ace, king, queen, 9, 

8,6. 
Spades — 8. 

Dummy. 

Hearts— 9, 8, 5, 3, 2. 
Diamonds — Queen, knave. 
Clubs— 10, 7, 5, 4. 
Spades — 6, 4. 



or 



Hearts — Ace, 10, 4. 
Diamonds — Ace, 6, 5. 
Clubs— 5. 

Spades — Ace, king, queen, 
7, 5, 3. 

Hearts— 9, 8, 5, 3, 2. 
Diamonds — Queen, knave. 
Clubs — Knave, 6. 
Spades — Knave, 10, 9, 2. 



Elder. 

Hearts — Queen, 6. 
Diamonds — 8, 7, 4. 
Clubs — Knave, 3. 
Spades — Ace, king, queen, 
7, 5, 3. 

Younger. 

Hearts — King, knave, 7. 
Diamonds — King, 10, 9, 3, 

2. 
Clubs— 2. 
Spades — Knave, 10, 9, 2. 



Hearts — Queen, 6. 

Diamonds — 8, 7, 4. 

Clubs — Ace, king, queen, 7, 

4,3. 
Spades — 6, 4. 

Hearts — King, knave, 7. 
Diamonds — King, 10, 9, 3, 2. 
Clubs— 10, 9, 8, 2. 
Spades — 8. 



187 



188 AUCTION BRIDGE 

The score is love all, and the dealer has declared 
one No Trump. In the first hand the elder leads 
the king, queen, ace of spades. The younger must 
play to them the nine, ten, knave ; otherwise he 
will block the suit and lose the game. Similarly 
in the second hand, to the king, queen, ace of clubs, 
the younger must play the eight, nine, ten, or the 
suit is blocked and the game lost. Thoughtless or 
careless play to the first trick in such situations 
loses many a trick, and even game. 

The following illustrates forcing re-entry cards : — 

Declarer. Elder. 



Hearts — 8, 4. 

Diamonds — Ace, knave, 10. 
Clubs— Queen, 10, 5, 4. 
Spades — Ace, king, 9, 6. 



Hearts— 9, 6. 
Diamonds — 8, 5, 3, 2. 
Clubs — Knave, 9, 7. • 
Spades — Queen, 10, 8, 3. 



Dummy. Younger. 



Hearts — Queen, knave, 10, 

7, 5, 3, 2. 
Diamonds — Queen, 7, 6. 
Clubs — Ace, 3. 

Spades — 7. 



Hearts — Ace, king. 
Diamonds — King, 9, 4. 
Clubs— King, 8, 6, 2. 
Spades — Knave, 5, 4, 2. 



The score is love all, and the dealer has declared 
one No Trump. Dummy ought of course to have 
declared two hearts, but, thinking No Trump was 
all right, since he held the ace of clubs and queen of 
diamonds, he did not. At trick 1, the elder hand 
leads the three of spades, which the declarer wins 
with ace : and leads the eight of hearts. The 
younger hand wins with the king ; and it is now 
obvious to him that, unless Dummy's ace of clubs is 
forced out before his own ace of hearts is extracted, 
all the heart suit will be brought in. Accordingly 
at trick 3 he leads the king of clubs. Dummy must 



EXAMPLES OF STRATEGY 189 

take it, otherwise the younger hand will draw his 
ace by next leading a small club. 

Trick 4. Dummy leads the queen of hearts, 
which the younger hand wins with the ace. The 
heart suit is now cleared. At trick 5, the younger 
hand returns a spade, which the declarer wins with 
the king, and at trick 6 leads his knave of diamonds, 
in the hope that the king will be put on ; leaving 
Dummy's queen a re-entry card for the long estab- 
lished heart suit. The younger hand, however, 
refuses to part with the king, so long as the queen 
is not played. At trick 7 the declarer continues 
with the ten of diamonds, but the younger hand 
still refuses to be drawn ; because, for all he knows, 
the declarer may still have a small diamond left. 

Whatever the declarer now plays, he cannot bring 
in Dummy's hearts, and he only makes the odd trick. 

If the younger hand plays differently at trick 3 
(returns his partner's spade for instance), or had been 
beguiled into playing his king of diamonds at 
trick 6, the declarer would win the game. 

The. latter might have put the queen of diamonds 
on his own ten at trick 7, on the chance of the king 
being with the elder hand ; but it happens that, if 
he had done so, he would have lost a trick. 

The next hands illustrate one of those positions 
when it is necessary to refrain from winning a trick 
that several tricks may be made later. 

Declarer. Elder. 



Hearts — 9, 5. 
Diamonds — Ace, 4, 3. 
Clubs— Ace, 10, 8. 
Spades — Ace, king, queen, 
5, 3. 



Hearts— 10, 6. 

Diamonds — 9, 8. 

Clubs — King, queen, knave, 

7, 3. 
Spades — Knave, 10, 9, 7. 



190 AUCTION BRIDGE 

Dummy. Younger. 

Hearts — Kins:, 8, 4. 



Hearts — Ace, queen, knave 

7, 3, 2. 
Diamonds — Knave, 7. 
Clubs— 9, 4, 2. 
Spades — 8, 6. 



Diamonds — King, queen, 10, 

6,5,2. 
Clubs— 6, 5. 
Spades — 4, 2. 



Dealer declared one No Trump. Dummy two 
hearts. Dealer two No Trumps. Score love all, 
second game. 

Elder hand leads the king, and then the knave 
of clubs. The declarer wins the latter, because the 
younger hand cannot hold any more, and there 
is therefore no object in holding up any longer. 
The declarer next leads three rounds of spades ; 
when finding the knave with the holder of the 
established clubs, he leads a heart, and finesses the 
knave from Dummy. The younger hand passes. 
This is the point of the hand. At trick 7, Dummy 
leads the knave of diamonds ; the younger covers, 
and the declarer wins with the ace. At trick 8, he 
leads the five of hearts, and believing the king to be 
with the elder hand, plays the queen from Dummy, 
which the elder wins, and makes four diamonds. 
The declarer loses his contract. Had the younger 
hand taken Dummy's knave of hearts the first time, 
the declarer would have made four by cards. Differ- 
ence in points 348. 

The next example illustrates attacks, and 
counters : — 

Declarer. Elder. 



Hearts — Ace, king, 7, 6. 
Diamonds — 9, 4, 2. 
Clubs— King, 9, 5. 
Spades — Ace, king, 4. 



Hearts — 5, 4, 2. 

Diamonds — King, queen, 6, 

5. 
Clubs— Ace, 8, 7. 
Spades — Knave, 3, 2. 



EXAMPLES OF STRATEGY 191 



Dummy. Younger. 

Hearts — Queen, knave, 9. 
Diamonds — 3. 
Clubs— Knave, 6, 4, 3. 
Spades — Queen, 9, 7, 6, 5. 



Hearts— 10, 8, 3. 
Diamonds — Ace, knave, 10 

8, 7. 
Clubs— Queen, 10, 2. 
Spades— 10, 8. 



Score love all — dealer declares one No Trump. 

At trick 1 the elder leads the five of diamonds. 
The declarer overtakes Dummy's seven, in order to 
lead through the elder again. At trick 2 the declarer 
leads the four of diamonds. The elder hand plays 
the six. If he foolishly plays the queen, Dummy 
will pass ; and as soon as the declarer gets in again, 
he will lead the two through the king, six, and let 
Dummy make three diamonds. At tricks 3 and 4, 
Dummy leads the ace and knave of diamonds, 
hoping later to get in with the queen of clubs and 
make the ten. At trick 5, the elder hand leads the 
five of hearts (the younger discards to the three 
diamond tricks, the five and six of spades, and 
the three of clubs : and the declarer, to the last 
diamond, the six of hearts) and the declarer wins 
the younger 's nine with the king. He now wants 
to make Dummy's queen of clubs a re-entry card 
for the last diamond, so he leads the king of 
clubs. The elder hand declines to play the ace. 
The declarer next leads the live of clubs. He 
finesses the ten from Dummy, which the younger 
wins with knave. The younger leads the six of 
clubs, which the elder wins with the ace, dropping 
Dummy's queen. At trick 9, the elder leads 
the four of hearts. The declarer wins two by 
cards. 

If the elder hand plays the ace of clubs at tricks 6 



192 AUCTION BRIDGE 

or 7, the declarer wins the game : also if he plays 
differently at trick 2. 

The declarer might play the queen of clubs at 
trick 7, but it is an even chance how the ace and 
knave lie. If ace and knave are both with the 
elder, or ace with younger, and knave with elder, 
Dummy must get in. 

It is in such situations at Auction Bridge that 
good play exacts its toll. 

The positions when the instructed player most 
often scores are those which occur towards the end 
of a hand. By the fall of the cards during the 
previous play, aiid his inferences therefrom, he is 
able to locate all the remaining cards ; and by 
the right application of this knowledge many con- 
tracts are fulfilled and games won, which would 
otherwise fail, or be lost. The inattentive and less 
skilful player, on the other hand, does not know how 
the last cards lie ; and even when he does, he is 
unable to take advantage of it. 

The following simple examples will clearly illus- 
trate the foregoing : — 

Declarer. Elder. 



Hearts — 7. 
Diamonds — nil. 
Clubs — nil. 

3—9, 7. 



Hearts — Ace, 8. 
Diamonds — King. 
Clubs — nil. 
Spades — nil. 

Dummy. Younger 

Hearts — nil. 
Diamonds — Knave, 10. 
Clubs — nil. 



Spades — 10. 



Hearts — Queen, 10. 
Diamonds — nil. 
Clubs — Ace. 
Spades — nil. 



Hearts are trumps. Each side has won five 
tricks. Declarer's contract is one heart. Elder to 



EXAMPLES OF STRATEGY 



193 



lead. He leads the nine of spades, which younger 
ruffs with the ten of hearts. Declarer must discard 
the king of diamonds. If he over-ruffs the ten he 
will lose his contract. 



Declarer. 
Hearts — 10. 
Diamonds — nil . 
Clubs— King, 10, 3. 
Spades — nil. 

Dummy. 
Hearts — nil. 
Diamonds — 10, 6. 
Clubs — nil. 
Spades — Ace, 8. 



Elder. 
Hearts — nil. 
Diamonds — nil . 
Clubs — Queen, 9, 4. 

3—7. 



Younger. 
Hearts — nil. 
Diamonds — 9, 2. 
Clubs — nil. 
Spades — Queen, 10. 



Hearts are trumps. Unless the declarer wins 
three tricks he loses his contract. It is his lead. 
He must lead the three of clubs. 



Declarer. 

Hearts — King. 
Diamonds — King, knave. 
Clubs— nil. 
les — nil. 



Dummy. 

Hearts — nil. 
Diamonds — nil. 
Clubs — Knave, 9, 8. 
Spades — nil. 



Elder. 

Hearts— 10. 
Diamonds — Ace, 6. 
Clubs— nil. 
Spades — nil. 

Younger. 

Hearts — nil. 
Diamonds — Queen, 8. 
Clubs — nil. 
Spades — 10. 



Hearts are trumps. Elder to lead, and in order 
to save the game he must make two tricks. He 
must lead the ten of hearts. 



Declarer. 

Hearts — Queen. 
Diamonds — nil. 
Clubs — nil. 

Spades — King, queen, knave, 
10. 



Elder. 

Hearts — nil. 
Diamonds — King, 7, 3. 
Clubs — nil. 
Spades— 9, 2. 

13 



194 AUCTION BRIDGE 

Dummy. Younger. 



Hearts — nil. 
Diamonds — 6. 
Clubs — nil. 
Spades — 8, 7, 5, 4. 



Hearts — 4. 

Diamonds — 8. 
Clubs — nil. 
Spades — Ace, 6, 3. 



Hearts are trumps. The declarer has to lead, 
and to make three tricks to fulfil his contract. He 
must lead the king of spades. If he draws the 
losing trump, he will only make one trick. 



Declarer. 

Hearts — nil. 

Diamonds — Knave, 6, 4. 
Clubs — Ace. 
Spades — nil. 

Dummy. 

Hearts— Ace, 10, 9. 
Diamonds — nil. 
Clubs— 10. 
les — nil. 



Elder. 

Hearts — Queen, 8. 
Diamonds — nil . 
Clubs— 6. 
Spades — 8. 

Younger. 

Hearts — nil. 
Diamonds — King, 7. 
Clubs— 7, 5. 
Spades — nil. 



Hearts are trumps. Elder hand has to lead, 
and to make one trick to save the game. He must 
lead the six of clubs. If he leads the last spade 
he will lose every trick. 



Declarer. 

Hearts — Queen, knave, 3. 
Diamonds — 4. 
Clubs — nil. 
Spades — nil. 

Dummy. 

Hearts — 6. 
Diamonds — 5. 
Clubs— 7. 
Spades — Queen. 



Elder. 

Hearts — nil. 
Diamonds — nil. 
Clubs— King, 10. 
Spades — 7, 3. 

Younger. 

Hearts — nil. 
Diamonds — 7. 
Clubs— 9, 5. 
Spades — 10. 



Hearts are trumps. Elder hand leads the king 
of clubs. Declarer must win every trick. He 



EXAMPLES OF STRATEGY 



195 



must trump with the knave and lead the three so 
that Dummy may lead the queen of spades. 



Declarer. 

Hearts — King . 

Diamonds — nil. 

Clubs — King, queen, knave, 

3. 
Spades — nil. 

Dummy. 

Hearts — nil. 
Diamonds — nil . 
Clubs— 10, 9, 7. 
Spades — 7, 3. 



Elder. 

Hearts — 5. 
Diamonds — nil. 
Clubs — Ace, 6, 5. 
Spades — 6. 



Younger. 

Hearts — nil. 
Diamonds^— nil. 
Clubs— 4, 2. 
Spades — King, 9, 4. 



Hearts are trumps. Elder to lead and make four 
tricks. He must lead the five of hearts. 

There are no trumps — you are declarer and hold 
the ace of clubs and two small spades. Dummy 
holds the queen of spades and two losing hearts. 
There are no other spades in. Elder hand leads the 
king of clubs. You must discard the queen of 
spades from Dummy. 

Again. There are three cards left. You are 
elder hand and hold ace, knave, five of diamonds. 
Dummy has king, seven, four. In order to win 
two tricks you must lead the five. 



Declarer. 

Hearts — 4, 3. 
Diamonds — Ace, 9. 
Clubs — nil. 
Spades — 9, 5. 

Dummy. 

Hearts — nil. 
Diamonds — 8, 4, 2. 
Clubs— 10. 
Spades — Queen, 8. 



Elder. 

Hearts — nil. 
Diamonds — 10. 
Clubs— King, 4, 3. 
-7,6. 



Younger. 

Hearts — nil. 

Diamonds — King, queen, 7. 

Clubs — nil. 

Spades — Ace, 10, 2. 



196 AUCTION BRIDGE 

Hearts are trumps — declarer to lead and win four 
tricks to make the game. He must lead the two 
trumps ; and if the younger discards a diamond 
and a spade, he will lead the ace and nine of diamonds. 
If the younger discards two spades, he will lead the 
five of spades. 

Instances of this kind may be multiplied in- 
definitely, but I think enough examples have now 
been given to show that play earns at least its fair 
share of reward at Auction Bridge. 



CHAPTER XIV 

AMENITIES 

Early in this book allusion is made to the poten- 
tialities of one's partner at Auction Bridge. His 
powers for evil or for good are so great, that one's 
success at the game in no small measure depends 
upon the early establishment between you of 
the most sympathetic relations possible. Unless 
you are in tune with your partner, there will be 
discord in your game. As soon as you cut together, 
inquire whether he has any choice of cards or seats, 
and if he has, indulge him in his harmless fancy. 
Incredible as it may appear to any one not affected 
in that way, there exist numbers of players who 
are steeped to the eyes in card-room supersti- 
tions, and the variety of these " hoodoos," as the 
Americans call them, is infinite. If the selection 
of cards and seats gives your partner any satisfac- 
tion, or if it pleases him to invoke any other 
occult enchantments, by all means afford him the 
opportunity. 

It is also essential to ascertain beforehand his 
wishes and methods in regard to bidding, and 
however absurd they may appear to be to you, it 
will be an aid to your mutual success to observe 

197 



198 AUCTION BRIDGE 

them. Having thus humoured him at the commence- 
ment, and acquainted yourself with his idiosyn- 
crasies, do not spoil all by finding fault with his 
play ; or if he makes mistakes, by hectoring him 
about them. Always remember that your partner 
is doing his best. It is not given to every one to 
be a first-class player, and at least fifty per cent 
of the men who take part in Auction Bridge never 
emerge from the deepest abyss of dufferism. This 
is not a feature peculiar to Auction Bridge. You 
will see the same thing at billiards, or golf, or almost 
every other game, whereat men who play regularly 
all their lives never get beyond a certain very 
modest stage. 

Anyway it does not conduce to harmony to haul 
your partner over the coals for some offence of 
omission or commission, when he has offended in 
all innocence. The following incident affords a 
striking example of this. I once cut in with a man 
who appeared to be quite at home at the card -table 
and conversant with the game. In the course of 
play, he intimated that he could ruff the third 
round of a suit by calling in it. I led it to him to 
find it trumped by the declarer, and we lost the 
game. But for the signal, I should have led differ- 
ently, and we should have saved it. At the end 
of the hand, I reproachfully inquired of him why 
he had misled me by calling. His answer was : 
" 1 have not the remotest idea what you mean by 
calling. When and how did I do it ? " Comment 
is superfluous. 

It is players of this type who can never learn, 
and they are quite incorrigible. Nevertheless, it 



AMENITIES 199 

will be your ill fortune to cut in with them some- 
times ; and to point out some elementary blunder, 
or to ask why they did or did not do something or 
other, only makes them play worse — if that were 
possible. Their mental vision, as far as card-playing 
goes, is distorted and obscured, and they are in- 
capable of comprehending ; although, in their own 
walk of life, and in other respects, they may be a 
great success. 

However, my present remarks on partnery 
apply more to players of a higher stratum than the 
altogether hopeless fifty per cent. 

The majority of average players are conscious 
of it when they make a mistake, and it is unneces- 
sary to refer to their error. They probably feel 
it just as keenly as you do ; and if you remain 
silent, they may even hope that you did not notice 
it. 

Some players maintain a grim silence throughout 
the rubber ; whilst others babble the whole time. 
Neither is an exhilarating kind of partner, though 
the latter is by far the worse. 

Again, there are others who cannot bear to be 
beaten. It is not the pecuniary loss that annoys 
them in the very least little bit, but it is the sense 
of being worsted that they hate. Especially are 
they exasperated when they suffer defeat at the 
hands of inferior adversaries ; and this added 
bitterness impels them to complain of the cards, 
and to rail at their ill luck. When one of these 
infuriated grumblers is indisputably a first-class 
player, you may be sure that there are grounds for 
his allegations of ill luck ; whereas, if he is not, 



200 AUCTION BRIDGE 

his losses are probably due to his own bad play. 
Anyhow, a tendency to blame Fortune is one of 
those constitutional infirmities to which some men 
are liable, and which they cannot help, and you 
will get on much better with such partners if you 
fall in with their humour, and sympathise with 
their irritation. 

I must here digress for a moment to refer to the 
question of luck. Theoretically there is no such 
thing as luck, and mathematicians refuse even to 
acknowledge the existence of such a factor. Yet 
in practice it aggressively obtrudes itself every 
day on all sides. The theory is that cards equalise 
themselves in time. I freely concede this, but the 
flaw is that the period required for such equalisa- 
tion may be infinitely greater than the whole span 
of human existence. I am acquainted with men 
who play atrociously, who go on winning year after 
year, and yet they lose on an average a trick per 
deal by bad play ; whilst others, who play against 
them, lose just as steadily, although they rarely 
throw away a trick. 

The matter is fortunately one that is susceptible 
of absolute proof by means of duplicate, and is 
therefore always demonstrable. If the hands be 
transposed, the bad players will lose far more 
heavily, and the good win infinitely more. Luck 
presents itself in many shapes. You may hold bad 
cards — or you may hold good ones, and your partner 
nothing ; or you may constantly cut the worst 
or unluckiest players. You may finesse, and al- 
ways find the cards wrong ; or you do not finesse, 
and find them right ; whilst your adversaries make 



AMENITIES 201 

the most inexcusable finesses, which all come off. 
You may be guilty of some trifling error of judg- 
ment, and thereafter everything goes wrong ; or 
your partner may make a mistake which costs 
you the rubber. There are no end to the tricks 
that ill fortune may play you, and it is idle to say 
that there is no such thing as luck. Luck sticks 
to some men like a cat to a house. Were it not so,, 
how is it that the most mediocre players continue 
year after year to hold their own with men infinitely 
their superiors in skill ? Therefore, do not disbelieve 
in luck. Personally, I would far rather have as a 
partner the luckiest player of my acquaintance^ 
even though he be an indifferent performer, than 
the finest player who ever lived, provided he m 
consistently unfortunate. 

But to return to one's partner at Auction Bridge. 
Apart from preserving a pleasant demeanour at 
all times, and humouring him in every way, you 
should play in such a manner as to make the game 
as easy as possible for your partner. Avoid puzzling 
him, and never play false cards. This is even more 
imperative when there are no trumps, than when 
there is a trump suit declared. 

When you are Dummy, do not read a paper,, 
or get up and leave your seat, or commit any 
other act that ostentatiously proclaims your in- 
difference to your partner's management of the 
hands ; but watch the play, look out for revokes, 
and generally evince a proper interest in the 
co-partnership. 

Whenever the declarer leads out of turn, either 
from his own hand or Dummy, and you are second! 



202 AUCTION BRIDGE 

player, do not correct the error, unless it is distinctly 
to your advantage to do so. It should be left to 
your partner, who is fourth player, to recall the 
lead or let it stand, as suits him. 

Whenever your partner deals, lay down your 
hand at once, and without any remark, as soon as 
the elder hand leads a card. Spread out the cards, 
so that they are most conveniently visible, taking 
care to do so in any order that you know your 
partner prefers. Then resolve yourself into your 
position as Dummy. 

It is good policy to defer to your partner's opinion 
as much as possible, even though you may not 
agree with him. This courtesy is particularly re- 
commended when he is a much older man than 
you are. 

Probably the most aggravating type of partner 
to cut with is the assertive person who is satisfied 
that he is always right. It goes without saying 
that any man holding such views is far more gener- 
ally wrong ; but it is waste of breath to argue with 
him. He makes unsound declarations, unjustifiable 
overcalls, and wild doubles, and when they meet 
with the reward they merit and come to grief, he 
is at pains to try to show that they were irreproach- 
able. Being in error how the cards lie, he criticises 
your play, because he is incapable of comprehending 
its motives ; or he bewails your not supporting 
him, or deplores your having done so. When you 
are unfortunate enough to be tied temporarily to 
a partner of this kind ; or to a beginner with a 
smattering of knowledge which he regards as omni- 
science, your wisest plan is to suffer in silence, and 



AMENITIES 203 

to acquiesce in everything. It is always a consola- 
tion to recollect that, on some other occasion, you 
will have these men for your adversaries. 

Besides one's duty to one's partner, there are 
certain other amenities that should always be 
observed. You should never draw attention to 
an error of your adversaries by which you have 
benefited. Be satisfied with the advantage you 
have gained ; and do not say to your partner, " If 
So-and-so had done so-and-so, or had omitted to do 
so-and-so, they would have made their contract," 
or offer any other observation of a similar nature 
Such remarks are not calculated to promote good 
will. 

When you are sitting out and overlooking a game, 
you should refrain from volunteering any comments 
whatever. If one of the players invites your 
opinion, or if any question is referred to you, it is 
of course another matter, and you will give your 
view, taking care to express yourself as diplomati- 
cally as possible. When you have not been con- 
sulted, you should maintain a strict silence ; and you 
should never give any sign whatever regarding the 
play — of approval, or otherwise. 

At Auction Bridge it is very important that 
each bid should be made clearly and unmistakably. 
It almost amounts to unfairness to make a declara- 
tion in a tone that is in the least degree indistinct, 
because this may cause an adversary to make an 
insufficient over call. If it is too much trouble to 
speak audibly and plainly, you should not play the 
game. The word " Pass " is inadmissible, since it is 
so easily mistaken for " Hearts." The best way to 



204 AUCTION BRIDGE 

bid is something like this. " One diamond.'* " I 
pass one diamond." " One heart." " I pass one 
heart," and so on. Or merely pass a bid by saying 
" No." The point I desire to emphasise is that 
bids must be distinct and must not be slurred. 

Lastly, do not play slowly. There are few things 
more trying to one's patience than the man who 
ponders over every card he has to play. It greatly 
adds to the pleasure of Auction Bridge to play it 
quickly, and without any of that interminable 
hesitation and indecision which are the characteris- 
tics of a vacillating and slow-moving mind. 

Hints on General Play 

Your first aim when you are the declarer is to 
fulfil your contract. Your next to win the game. 
Your principal object when you are playing against 
the declarer is to save the game, your second to 
break his contract. 

It sometimes becomes apparent after a few tricks 
have been played without trumps, that, unless 
your partner holds some particular card or cards 
you cannot save the game, or break the contract. 
In such a situation you must assume him to hold 
that card or cards, and play accordingly, even 
though this may necessitate your sacrificing a 
winning card in your hand. For instance, late in 
the hand you get the lead, and hold the king and 
one small club. The queen and two others are 
in Dummy. You require three tricks to save the 
game, and unless you partner holds the ace, knave, 
and at least one small club, you cannot get them. 



AMENITIES 205 

You must lead the king, on the assumption that 
he has these cards. 

You should always closely observe the tactics 
adopted by the declarer. If he avoids opening 
any particular suit, of which the Dummy holds 
some good cards, you may assume that he is weak 
in it, and that your partner holds some of the missing 
cards. Likewise, if he plays a cautious game, by 
avoiding finesses and securing tricks at once, you 
may take it that he is not very strong, or that 
your partner has some powerful cards against him. 
When a trump is declared, if the declarer does 
not extract trumps, he is either very weak, or he 
wants to ruff. 

Remember that the declarer will always play his 
cards with the object of misleading his adversaries, 
and you must not be deterred from continuing with 
a winning card in a suit merely because he has 
dropped a high card on the previous trick. 

Supposing, when there are no trumps, you lead 
from a long suit headed by the queen. Only two 
small ones appear in the exposed hand. Your 
partner plays the knave ; the declarer wins with 
the ace. You should not be deceived ; the king 
and ten are marked with him. Your partner 
would not finesse the knave of your suit if he held 
the king, nor would he play the knave if he held 
the ten. 

Always give your partner a ruff whenever you get 
the chance ; you cannot afford him too many oppor- 
tunities of trumping at Auction Bridge. At the 
same time, always force the strong adverse trump 
hand, unless by doing so you play the declarer's 



206 AUCTION BRIDGE 

game, or unless it is so strong that the force is 
welcome. The word " force " is an unfortunate 
one, as it implies compulsion. No player is obi ged 
to ruff unless it suits him. When your partner 
refuses to trump, you of course will not force him 
to do so by leading the suit again. 

If you throw away all the cards of your partner's 
suit when there are no trumps, you indicate to 
him that you have no card of entry. 

As dealer, play false cards whenever you can ; 
but avoid giving information by so doing. This 
practice is better suited to small cards than high 
ones. 

In discarding, when there are no trumps, never 
denude yourself entirely of a suit unless you can 
never get the lead. If you do, you not only are 
unable to lead it to your partner, should it turn out 
to be his strong suit, but you also enable the de- 
clarer, as soon as it is led, to locate the whole of it, 
and to finesse accordingly. 

You must always be careful not to risk the con- 
tract or game in the hope of making extra points ; 
and never play in such a way as to make things 
difficult for your partner. 

The fall of every card must be noted. It often 
happens that an inattentive player will fail to 
recollect that his eight or nine is the best of the 
suit remaining, because he has omitted to observe 
the fall of the nine or ten. 

Lastly, the winners of the first game are in a 
very advantageous position. Therefore to secure 
it no effort should be spared. Should you have 
lost the first game, it is essential to do every- 



AMENITIES 207 

thing possible, in reason, to keep your adver- 
saries from winning the second, and with it of 
course the rubber. In this position it becomes 
legitimate to sacrifice a certain amount above the- 
line in order to accomplish your purpose, whilst no 
effort should be relaxed to even matters as soon as 
you can. 



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